DuckDuckGo Working on Privacy-Focused Desktop Browser for Mac

[MacRumors]

Popular privacy-first web browser DuckDuckGo is developing a dedicated desktop browser that will be available on the Mac, the company announced today in a year-end wrap-up article.

DuckDuckGo already offers a browser option that's available on mobile devices, and when it launches, the desktop browser will offer a similar experience.

The DuckDuckGo desktop browser will have "robust privacy protection" that works by default, without requiring users to adjust privacy settings or deal with different levels of privacy protection.

The app will "redefine user expectations of everyday online privacy, according to DuckDuckGo," and it will work across search, browsing, email, and more. The app is described as cleaner, more private, and faster than Chrome.

DuckDuckGo for desktop is being built around OS-provided rendering engines, which is similar to how the DuckDuckGo mobile apps work, and it will not use a Chromium fork like other browser offerings.

The desktop browser is in closed beta testing for the Mac right now, with a PC version also planned in the future. There's no word on a release date just yet, but DuckDuckGo is currently soliciting beta testers.

Article Link: DuckDuckGo Working on Privacy-Focused Desktop Browser for Mac

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Thank god. We need this. Privacy- the top priority. Duck is a great browser when it comes to privacy.

 

[B4U]

This is going to be big!
Can't wait to get it on the mac!

 

[jdsingle]

Interested to see what additional benefits the browser will provide to make adoption worthwhile. Took me a bit to get use to having this as my default search engine, but I still use Chrome (plus a bunch of extensions for privacy) as my default browser.

 

[LivingMyBeachLife]

In the meantime, I'm loving their "email protection" feature. Got my @duck.com email address that forwards to my real email address. Good to see that they are removing the email trackers. I look forward to this browser. For compatibility, I hope that it's Chromium based.

 

[repoman016]

Interested to see what additional benefits the browser will provide to make adoption worthwhile. Took me a bit to get use to having this as my default search engine, but I still use Chrome (plus a bunch of extensions for privacy) as my default browser.

Not to hijack the duckduckgo thread, but any recommendations on chrome extensions for privacy?

 

[B4U]

In the meantime, I'm loving their "email protection" feature. Got my @duck.com email address that forwards to my real email address. Good to see that they are removing the email trackers. I look forward to this browser. For compatibility, I hope that it's Chromium based.

"DuckDuckGo for desktop is being built around OS-provided rendering engines, which is similar to how the DuckDuckGo mobile apps work, and it will not use a Chromium fork like other browser offerings."

According to the article.
So, not Chromium based.

 

[sw1tcher]

and it will not use a Chromium fork like other browser offerings.

Always nice to have another option to Chromium based browsers. There's not enough of them.

They're going to have a hard time getting Chromium based browser (or even Firefox) users to switch though.

 

[jdsingle]

Not to hijack the duckduckgo thread, but any recommendations on chrome extensions for privacy?

A few to look at are eFF Privacy Badger, HTTPS:// everywhere, uBlock Origin (more ads though so), and ClearURLs.

 

[sudo-sandwich]

Hopefully not a scam like Brave. DDG's website is legit.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Glad to see this news. It is always good to have a privacy focused browser as a backup when needed. I already use the search engine.

 

[sudo-sandwich]

Not to hijack the duckduckgo thread, but any recommendations on chrome extensions for privacy?

AdNauseam is the nuclear option. Simulates clicks on all ads to throw off their metrics. Google banned it from their store, but I think you can still install it, or it's also available for Firefox.

 

[TechRunner]

I use the search engine on occasion. I'll give the browser a go when it hits the mainstream.

 

[BrownyQ]

I switched to DDG as my search engine on all my devices about a year ago, and it hasn't let me down yet. While part of me wants to try their browser, I'm actually rather fond of Safari. I would like to look into this duck.com e-mail feature, because it sounds wonderfully simple and useful.

 

[jamcgahey]

I love Safari, but this is great! I love DuckDuckGo. Cheers to the hopeful downfall of Google Search/Chrome!

 

[JippaLippa]

I have been using DDG as a search engine for about 3 years now, very happy with my decision.
I find the desktop browser idea intriguing, however I love the safari integration with the iPhone.

 

[noone]

Hopefully not a scam like Brave. DDG's website is legit.

Knowing nothing about it, why is Brave a scam?

 

[boss.king]

I hope they get a handle on battery life and extensions support, otherwise it’s a no-go for me.

 

[JosephAW]

Great when using multiple browsers to maintain multiple accounts from the same domains without any crossover cookies.

 

[kingtj1971]

Knowing nothing about it, why is Brave a scam?

Seconding this question? I actually started using Brave browser since two of my good friends who are employed in computer security recommend it and use it as their default. I understand it has that whole "rewards" system built into it that you can (optionally) use:

What is Brave Rewards? | Brave

Support content creators and earn tokens for ads you see in Brave. Use your tokens to buy gift cards, exchange for other currencies, and more.

brave.com

That doesn't seem like it makes it a scam at all, though? Just attempts to reward advertisers who respect certain privacy rules vs the ones who don't.

 

[djgamble]

Great one! I remember hitting a point with Google (and various web browsers) where I realised they could essentially read my mind and gave me what I wanted (rather than a natural search).

IMO unless people REALLY want their private searches being tracked/bubbled, search engines should all use 'natural' searches (like DDG).

 

[KaliYoni]

I use a multiple browser setup (general surfing, confidential activities, trusted sites) so DDG will be a welcome addition to my browser portfolio. If it has good compatibility and stability, I'll probably reserve my installations of Chrome and Edge for troubleshooting and no-other-browser-will-work usage.

 

[andrewxgx]

any idea how they gonna monetize? first the email service, now browser, this stuff requires money to develop. some paid service?

 

[nt5672]

Hopefully not a scam like Brave. DDG's website is legit.

How is brave a scam?

 

[lucky6877]

Hopefully not a scam like Brave. DDG's website is legit.

'Scam' is a big word, any evidence for your claim? source? otherwise fake news!