# Do you use Duck Duck Go? How do you like it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 16, 2022, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-duck-duck-go-how-do-you-like-it/968057 "2022-07-16T18:18:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2022, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-duck-duck-go-how-do-you-like-it/968057/1 "2022-07-16T18:18:27Z")
Does anyone here use Duck Duck Go? What are its advantages / disadvantages? They claim they don’t track you, while other browsers don’t make that claim. Thoughts? . > **[DuckDuckGo — Privacy, simplified.](https://duckduckgo.com/)** > > The Internet privacy company that empowers you to seamlessly take control of your personal information online, without any tradeoffs. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2022, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-duck-duck-go-how-do-you-like-it/968057/2 "2022-07-16T18:24:21Z")
A disadvantage discussed [here](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/well-damn-now-i-cant-use-duck-duck-go-anymore/960016).\* \*or an advantage, if you want to track online craziness in a way that Google tends to discourage. ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2022, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-duck-duck-go-how-do-you-like-it/968057/3 "2022-07-16T18:27:07Z")
It’s been my primary search engine for a few years now. While supposedly not technically as effective as Google, I’ve found it’s just fine in the 9 tenths world I primarily reside in, browsing-wise. I’ll use Google advanced search in times I’m looking for that 10 tenth. My only complaint about DDG is the search results page does not really scroll smoothly. It’s a minor but somewhat annoying issue to me that I can’t just press the down button and scroll my way down; it seems to jump to the bottom as if trying to scroll through multiple PDF pages. In order to scroll, I have to drag the side scroll bar down by clicking on the mouse. Minor ergonomic “heavy lifting”. Edit after reading subsequent replies: Just because RW nutters have taken to it isn’t going to ruin a good thing for me. I was here first. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2022, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-duck-duck-go-how-do-you-like-it/968057/4 "2022-07-16T18:48:22Z")
I like the built-in adblocking. I’ve used DuckDuckGo for a year on my phone. No complaints. I still have Chrome and use it for Google features. Like the basketball score for a team. Google gives you a nice stats box. You don’t see it in duckduckgo. Find my phone need Chrome for it to launch automatically. It’s not surprising. Chrome and Google are closely linked. Weather, Time etc. all come from Google into Chrome. ---
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2022, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-duck-duck-go-how-do-you-like-it/968057/5 "2022-07-16T19:28:53Z")
For academic type searches using search terms that are “technical” such as monte carlo convergence maximum value …DDG just isn’t giving results as good as Google. So I have to use Google under these circumstances. Otherwise, DDG works fine and is my default search engine in all my devices. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2022, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-duck-duck-go-how-do-you-like-it/968057/6 "2022-07-16T22:40:11Z")
I use DDG for searches, but I’ve never tried the browser. I like the search ok, but it does sometimes come up with weird stuff and I have to go back to Google. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2022, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-duck-duck-go-how-do-you-like-it/968057/7 "2022-07-16T23:01:56Z")
If you are at a Duck Duck Go prompt, and you type `!g blablabla`, it should automatically search Google. You can also put in `!s`, `!bing`, `!yt`, et cetera. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2022, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-duck-duck-go-how-do-you-like-it/968057/8 "2022-07-17T01:47:28Z")
I use their browser on my iPhone over Safari, and I use their search as my Firefox Home page. The browser is fine for a mobile browser. I like that there’s a one-button “close and clear everything” feature. ---
**Author:** ![Turki-lurki](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turki-lurki/32/7168_2.png) [@Turki-lurki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turki-lurki)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2022, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-duck-duck-go-how-do-you-like-it/968057/9 "2022-07-17T04:19:48Z")
I use DDG for daily searvhes, and have for several years. No complaints. I switch to Google Scholar for scientific primary sources, and its a good first step. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2022, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-duck-duck-go-how-do-you-like-it/968057/10 "2022-07-17T10:45:33Z")
Actually, if you have the search extension installed & selected as your primary search you can put their “bang” shortcut right in the top address bar and it’ll take you there. I use !m for google maps all the time (!m 123 main st, !m pizza place, or even just !m) If I want Google it’s !g, or !g and the word(s) you want to search. Very handy! ---
**Author:** ![ASGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@ASGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2022, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-duck-duck-go-how-do-you-like-it/968057/11 "2022-07-17T13:45:28Z")
> [@BrickBat](#): > > It’s been my primary search engine for a few years now. While supposedly not technically as effective as Google, I’ve found it’s just fine in the 9 tenths world I primarily reside in, browsing-wise. I’ll use Google advanced search in times I’m looking for that 10 tenth. A second vote for this. I like the “no tracking” aspect of DDG but some search results are lacking. I’ll keep DDG as my Firefox home page. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2022, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-duck-duck-go-how-do-you-like-it/968057/12 "2022-07-18T00:51:39Z")
I just added it to Chrome. I’ll see how it goes, though I will miss that guy standing behind me singing “Every Breath you Take”. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2022, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-duck-duck-go-how-do-you-like-it/968057/13 "2022-07-18T01:58:13Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > I just added it to Chrome. FYI Don’t log in to any Google accounts while using it or you lose all of the privacy benefits. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2022, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-duck-duck-go-how-do-you-like-it/968057/14 "2022-07-18T21:48:16Z")
I am using DDG + Brave, both products that claim to protect privacy. They are pretty seamless compared to Google + Safari. They work just fine. Now I am not sure I am really getting more privacy, but I feel better about it. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2022, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-duck-duck-go-how-do-you-like-it/968057/15 "2022-07-21T02:17:18Z")
A great Firefox feature is “Multi-Account Containers.” It’s an add-on where you set up various “containers” which are basically walled-off tabs. You can sign in to Google and use Google services, and it will only track you in those specific tabs, but your other “containers” are totally separate and inaccessible to Google tracking.