DuckDuckGo Sees iPhone Installs Spike Following AI-Heavy Google I/O
DuckDuckGo said iOS installs rose 33% week over week as users sought its privacy-focused search and AI-free option.
- Following Google I/O last week, DuckDuckGo reported a sustained surge in U.S. users, with iOS installs averaging 33% week-over-week growth and peaking at 69.9% on May 25.
- Google announced its biggest search overhaul in over 25 years at I/O, replacing traditional blue links with AI agents and deepening Gemini integration across its ecosystem.
- Notably, DuckDuckGo's AI-free search page noai.duckduckgo.com averaged 22.7% weekly growth, peaking at 27.7% on May 24, with gains accelerating through Memorial Day weekend when traffic typically dips.
- DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg said Tuesday that Google is "force-feeding AI with no way to opt out," while the company posted on X that users were actively switching platforms.
- Despite holding only around 2% of the U.S. search market, DuckDuckGo's privacy protections—including IP stripping and 30-day chat deletion—position it as an alternative as Google faces mounting antitrust pressure.
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'It's Time To Fire Google,' Urges Alphabet's Search Engine Rival As DuckDuckGo Blasts AI Overhaul: People
As Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google faces mounting criticism over its AI-powered search changes and intensifying antitrust scrutiny, rival DuckDuckGo says frustrated users are increasingly looking for alternatives. DuckDuckGo Indicates Surge In Users Amid Google AI Search Push On Tuesday, DuckDuckGo aimed for Google's evolving search experience, posting on X that users were no longer "just complaining" about the company's AI s…
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unstore.com.npDuckDuckGo installs are up 30% as users reject being ‘force-fed’ Google’s AI Search
Google overhauled Search at I/O 2026, replacing blue links with AI agents. The backlash has been swift. DuckDuckGo app installs spiked 30% as users seek a way out.
The search engine offers a "No AI" mode, but also its own interface for chatting with well-known AI models.
Last week, after Google announced its great search engine renewal, I heard a woman talking on the phone and saying that it was going to move to Duck DuckGo because you can disable the use of AI. “Google is no longer Google,” he said. It seems that others think the same. In I/O, the annual Google developer conference, the company announced that its traditional list of blue links will be replaced by an AI agent who responds to queries, executes ta…
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