DuckDuckGo is growing thanks to Google users frustrated by AI features
DuckDuckGo has experienced significant growth in app downloads following Google's introduction of new AI features. Many users are seeking an alternative search experience free from AI integration. The surge in DuckDuckGo's popularity is particularly pronounced in the U.S., where app installs have increased dramatically.
- ▪DuckDuckGo's mobile app downloads rose by 18.1 percent week-over-week after Google's I/O event.
- ▪The app saw a peak growth of 33 percent on May 25, with iOS installs reaching 69.9 percent growth.
- ▪Traffic to DuckDuckGo's AI-free search page increased by an average of 22.7 percent week-over-week.
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| Original publisher | Mashable |
| Canonical URL | https://mashable.com/tech/duckduckgo-growth-as-a-result-of-google-io-ai-search-announcements |
| Publication time | Wed, 27 May 2026 18:39:51 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-27T18:48:02.507Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-27T18:48:02.507Z |
| Headline source | Publisher (no WeSearch rewrite) |
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| Summary source text | contentText |
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| Ranking reason | Story pages are not engagement-ranked. Hub feeds use recency, with optional source-diversified chronological ordering (cap consecutive stories per source). No personalized ranking. |
| Publisher visit | Yes — open original |
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| Commercial reuse | May the content be reused commercially? | Not permitted |
Basis: Derived from the published RSS/Atom feed. Contact: [email protected]. Reviewed: 2026-07-24.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Home > Tech DuckDuckGo is growing thanks to Google users frustrated by AI features Many Search users still want an AI-free experience. By Matt Binder on May 27, 2026 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Flipboard After Google announced new AI search features, competitor DuckDuckGo's app downloads boomed. Credit: Ascannio / Shutterstock Google users are flocking to the alternative search engine DuckDuckGo.According to data provided to Mashable by DuckDuckGo, U.S. installs of the search engine's mobile app are up 18.1 percent week-over-week on average following Google's big I/O event, where the search giant introduced a slew of new AI features into its search product.
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