Search the web using this privacy-orientated alternative to Google

Quack: DuckDuckGo is growing in popularity

Do you want to make DuckDuckGo the default search engine in Google Chrome on the desktop or Chromebook?

If so, it’s easy — and we’re gonna show you how.

Google Chrome and Chrome OS (obviously) use the Google search engine by default. But the company has made it easy to switch to a different search engine if you want to.

This means you can get it on with Microsoft’s Bing, seek answers on Ecosia, and yodel for result with Yahoo!.

But you want to consider DuckDuckGo, instead.

DuckDuckGo is superb search engine whose main selling point is that it doesn’t sell your data. It doesn’t track searches you make to ‘personalize’ the order of web results like Google does. Instead, the service promises ‘smarter search, less clutter and real privacy’.

How To Make DuckDuckGo the Default Search Engine in Chrome

Chrome offers DuckDuckGo as an alternative search provider now too meaning it’s very simple to switch!

Just switch change the search engine setting located in Chrome > Settings > Search Engine:

When you set DuckDuckGo as the default search engine in Chrome ALL searches you make from the Omnibar (aka the address bar) go through DuckDuckGo and not Google. You’ll even see the DuckDuckGo logo in the URL to remind you.

Chrome allows you to select a word and right click on it to launch a new search using it as the search term. This is updated to match your new choice too.

Finally, the New Tab page in the browser will chance to a DuckDuckGo-branded one. You still get a list to your top sites (though this can be hidden). You do not, however, get any of advanced new tab page options like custom backgrounds.

DuckDuckGo as the default search engine

Go Further with DuckDuckGo Prviac

You can go beyond changing the default search engine in Chrome and add a couple of related extras.

The DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials extension is a free Chrome extension that offers to help you “take control of your personal information as you search and browse the website”. It includes tracking protections and blockers; force encryption where available; and concise overviews of popular website’s terms and conditions.

DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials on Chrome Web Store

You can also add a ‘glorified bookmark’ — aka ‘web app’ — that takes you straight to the DuckDuckGo homepage when clicked. You can then pin this app to your taskbar or dock to quickly jump to the page whenever you click it.

You might also want learn how to take advantage of DuckDuckGo’s unique features, like !Bangs . Bangs offer an easy way to search specific websites or for specific content.

For example, our sister site OMG! Ubuntu! can be searched using the !OMG or !OMGU bangs followed by a search term, like so:-

!OMG Ubuntu 20.04 LTS

The following page has a full list of !Bangs available:

Learn more about !bangs on DuckDuckGo

Finally, for true aficionados, you can download an official DuckDuckGo wallpaper to set as your desktop background.