DuckDuckGo installs are up 30% as users reject being ‘force-fed’ Google’s AI Search
DuckDuckGo has seen a significant increase in app installs, with a 30% rise as users seek alternatives to Google's AI-driven search. The backlash against Google's changes has prompted many to opt for DuckDuckGo, which emphasizes user choice and privacy. DuckDuckGo's CEO highlighted the importance of allowing users to decide how much AI they want in their search experience.
- ▪DuckDuckGo reported an 18.1% increase in U.S. app installs week-over-week, peaking at 30.5% on May 25.
- ▪On iOS, the growth rate reached 33%, with a peak of 69.9% during the same period.
- ▪The search engine's AI-free page saw an average growth of 22.7% week-over-week, indicating strong user interest in non-AI options.
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Last week, after Google announced its huge overhaul to Search, I overheard a woman on the phone saying she was switching to DuckDuckGo because you can “opt out of using AI.” “Google just isn’t Google anymore,” she said. It seems that others had the same idea. At I/O, Google’s annual developer conference, the company said its traditional list of blue links is being replaced by an AI agent that answers queries, executes tasks, and runs background monitoring agents. The backlash has been sharp. Some have argued it will kill the open web, while others shared concerns that AI overviews surface inaccurate responses and take away control from users who might not want to use AI. It also overcomplicates simple things.
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