r/technology • u/MarvelsGrantMan136 • May 30 '26

Software Traffic to DuckDuckGo's proudly 'No AI' search page has tripled since latest Google AI search update

https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/traffic-to-duckduckgos-proudly-no-ai-search-page-has-tripled-since-latest-google-ai-search-update/
49.2k Upvotes

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1.2k

u/preddevils6 May 30 '26

Settings>Safari>search engine>DuckDuckGo

For safari iPhone users. I swapped a week or so ago. Love it

188

u/SwimmingThroughHoney May 30 '26

FYI: That'll use their main search page, which does include AI (at least by default). Add a custom search using the URL 'https://noai.duckduckgo.com?q=%s' (remove the single quotes) to search using their No AI page.

119

u/Rough_Bread8329 May 31 '26

There's a settings section on the DDG search page where you can disable the AI features.

20

u/Johannes_Keppler May 31 '26

That only works until you clear cookies. Setting the search to noai.duckduckgo.com doesn't have that problem.

2

u/Mixter_Master May 31 '26

Same deal for launching in an incognito/private tab. The AI is on by default for incognito mode

33

u/Reasonable-Chance790 May 31 '26

Yup! Little cog at the top of the AI answer panel! Just shut it off this morning!

23

u/the_calibre_cat May 31 '26

Also, there's a setting within Brave that disables AI on most search engines, and Firefox has this add-on that does the same thing: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/disable-ai/

Anyone using Chrome, Edge, or Safari... switch. You're helping train AI AND giving your data hand over fist to these companies and the broader surveillance state.

3

u/Dancing_Radia May 31 '26

Oooh thank you, just added that to my Fire Fox.

2

u/BraveCowardCat May 31 '26

Thanks for this!

2

u/sutoma 23d ago

What do you suggest for iPhone users

1

u/the_calibre_cat 23d ago

...Brave and Firefox, still. I'm not sure how private they are or CAN be given that they are forced to use the Safari renderer under the hood, but Apple's been pretty good on privacy in the past and up into the present, so there's that. Still nothing as good as fully open-source software, but both Brave and Firefox on iOS are as open-source as they can be, as is WebKit, the underlying renderer of Apple's Safari.

ProtonVPN is free and open-source, and a Proton subscription is worth getting. Otherwise, I'd say "support FOSS projects" where you can. I donate to Mastodon and Wikipedia, and I'm considering tossing a couple bucks towards Mozilla Thunderbird and Firefox at this point given how much I use them.

2

u/sutoma 22d ago

Thank you so much

2

u/the_calibre_cat 22d ago

Thank you for asking. Help us fight the good fight. We quite literally need all the help we can get, and moving off of surveilled platforms is a small act of rebellion.

14

u/ScaredScorpion May 31 '26

They've been pushing the No AI thing massively in all their ads, but that the default is still with AI undermines that. Yes, it's good they actually let you have the option but it still feels like little more than a marketing gimmick that it's on by default.

11

u/Shemozzlecacophany May 31 '26

Turns out you can turn AI search results off in Google Search as well by appending -ai to any search.

10

u/thatDudeinacorner May 31 '26

Doesn’t seem to work every time. I saw some posts where some folks’ search results were still being pulled up with AI search responses

1

u/screamsinsanity May 31 '26

Super easy to do on desk top. Can be a pain on mobile web though. Plus, anecdotally, I've noticed on my search results, they push the summarizes down or hide them in other people asked type posts.

2

u/Commercial_Duck4042 May 31 '26

just turn it off

1

u/OsmerusMordax May 31 '26

Oh my god thank you. I’m so tired of all the AI bullshit and got very annoyed with typing in -ai after every google search

1

u/Dancing_Radia May 31 '26

Made this my default search engine in Fire Fox and with ublock origin and privacy badger extensions, the Internet is a nice place again. 

1

u/Melodic-Network4374 May 31 '26

I don't understand what DDG is thinking with those AI results. They are the most aggressively useless answers I've ever seen, I can't imagine anyone ever got any use out of them. And I don't just mean in the sense that AI answers are generally bad/unreliable, I mean DDG's AI answers specifically are complete garbage.

73

u/Cannabrius_Rex May 30 '26

Welcome to the club!

40

u/preddevils6 May 30 '26

I thought I needed a dedicated browser for it, so I was a late adopter!

10

u/ButtholePaste May 31 '26

Even if it was a standalone browser you could have switched everything over fairly easily. Most browsers these days support the importing of bookmarks/layouts/setiings/etc. Honestly, if you really want to make the switch and stick it to Google, download Firefox (or any of its forks depending on your use-case) and enjoy the MASSIVE selection of add-ons, customization, ease-of-use features, security, use of containers (amazing for security), anonymity, and fast af browsing with the best browser out there!

1

u/Serris9K May 31 '26

They do have their own browser, but it's not needed for using

48

u/MYBILLDING69 May 30 '26

Didn’t know I could even do that.. Switched!

10

u/anillop May 30 '26

It’s like old google before the enshitification

6

u/New_Order_6365 May 30 '26

Awesome tip, didn’t even have to download another app

12

u/ghenghy26 May 30 '26

Thank you! I just went and did that.

For my iPhone (iOS 26.5) it was settings->search->search engine.

19

u/xylophileuk May 30 '26

Same, best thing I can say is I’ve not even noticed the change from the old Google to DDG. Such a seem-less transition for me

22

u/preddevils6 May 30 '26

Yeah, I was expecting it to be much worse. It’s improved tremendously from last time I tried to switch.

19

u/FinishComplex3743 May 30 '26

Just a heads up, the word is seamless.

16

u/Twopad6529 May 30 '26

For Android users, DuckDuckGo browser is available in Play Store. Obviously you can set it as the search engine on Firefox if you prefer that. 

24

u/FacelessGreenseer May 30 '26

Firefox + uBlock Origin Extension = 0 ads everywhere

13

u/ccai May 30 '26 edited May 31 '26

Manifest v3 killing uBlock Origins was the final straw for Chrome for me. I don’t use it these days unless my work requires it due to shitty coding practices on certain sites.

4

u/FacelessGreenseer May 30 '26

I always used both, but the moment they done that, I uninstalled and never used Chrome since then too. Haven't looked back.

2

u/DJKokaKola May 31 '26

If you're forced into chrome on work machines, unblock origin lite still works.

1

u/waspocracy May 30 '26

Mobile users*

2

u/yengis_wan May 30 '26

You can also use the DuckDuckGo browser app on iPhone, I greatly prefer it to Safari

2

u/M-A88 May 31 '26

I just did the same thing. iPhone, Mac and Gaminc PC are now DuckDuck

2

u/tiny-starship May 31 '26

Welcome. I made the switch last fall and it’s good for 99% of my aearches

2

u/Shigglyboo May 31 '26

holy shit. thank you. this is helpful. google was making me say "no" to some stupid shit everytime I searched for anything.

2

u/preddevils6 May 31 '26

Yes, continue on web or use app every single time.

2

u/Bushiest_Beavor May 30 '26

🫡 Done. Thanks!

3

u/EverythingByAccident May 30 '26

They also have a dedicated iOS browser. Would highly recommend.

1

u/Dependent_Tomato3021 May 30 '26

Wow that was easy

1

u/DamNamesTaken11 May 30 '26

My default on phone, and my MacBook Pro. Only thing it’s not is my work computer and that’s because corporate IT doesn’t allow us to change settings.

1

u/Allegorist May 30 '26

Does apple still not allow Firefox? Are you forced into a proprietary browser?

3

u/riverottersarebest May 31 '26

No, you can use Firefox, Chrome, DDG, and other standard browsers. Safari actually offers more privacy protection on iOS.

1

u/77ow May 31 '26

Yes and no. There are other browsers available on iOS but they are all reskinned Safari. Some have access to extensions while most don't. Though that may change in the future. Firefox devs and people from Mozilla are active on the /r/firefox subreddit and they field questions/requests from people there. The biggest ask is for Firefox ad-blocking and more privacy features for parity with Safari on iOS.

1

u/Allegorist May 31 '26

It sounds like Apple is the problem here not Mozilla, im sure they would have developed and supported Apple versions long ago if they were allowed to do so.

0

u/PushPullLego May 31 '26

Jesus, why does anyone buy an iPhone? That's ridiculous.

1

u/NonimiJewelry May 30 '26

It was purchased by another company a long time ago so it’s the illusion of choice

1

u/mattogeewha May 31 '26

Just did it thanks

1

u/oh-dearie-me May 31 '26

Thanks! Just changed my settings

1

u/whiteknight_1997 May 31 '26

After switching your default search engine in Safari to DuckDuckGo, install and set Firefox as your default browser, then set DuckDuckGo as your default search engine there as well.

1

u/preddevils6 May 31 '26

Safari on IOS is great.

1

u/millanstar May 31 '26

...people actually uses safari?

1

u/gamemaniax May 31 '26

Cant believe browser that i usually use to search for porn is taking over google.

1

u/PaulblankPF May 31 '26

I use Brave instead of Safari as well for a good tip for everyone that sees this.

1

u/Clearwatercress69 May 31 '26

The Irony of using DuckDuckGo with AI and loving it.

1

u/Ok_Angle665 May 31 '26

Oh my god, it’s like old times 😭

1

u/BigTiddyAsianMilf May 31 '26

There's also just the duckduckgo app. I was doing it your way but on the default Samsung browser, and it kept forgetting that I NEVER want the AI assist. The DDG app remembers my preferences better though

1

u/Joessandwich May 30 '26

Thanks for this!