How do I clear DuckDuckGo saved passwords and autofill data across Windows, macOS, and Linux?
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Executive summary
DuckDuckGo’s browser now includes a built‑in Passwords & Autofill system and a Sync & Backup feature that can import, encrypt, and sync saved logins and autofill “Identities” across devices; DuckDuckGo says saved passwords are protected by device biometrics and end‑to‑end encryption [1] [2]. To remove saved passwords or autofill data you generally use the browser’s Settings > Passwords & Autofill or Settings > Data Clearing and, if you used Sync & Backup, you must also remove or sign out of autofill in the Email Protection/Autofill settings and/or delete synced data per the help pages [3] [1] [4].
1. What you’re dealing with: passwords, identities, autofill and sync
DuckDuckGo’s modern browser stores two related things: logins saved in its Passwords & Autofill manager and “Identities” used to autofill names, addresses, and payment info. Those can be synced across devices by the Sync & Backup system using end‑to‑end encryption so clearing locally may not be the whole story if sync is enabled [3] [2] [1].
2. The quick, official routes inside the DuckDuckGo browser
DuckDuckGo’s published guidance points you to Settings > Passwords & Autofill to manage or import passwords, and to Settings > Data Clearing (or the Fire Button options) to enable or run broad clearing actions; Email Protection’s Autofill tab also has a “Sign out” to remove that feature in a browser [3] [1] [4]. The help pages explicitly document importing and managing passwords from other managers via Settings > Passwords & Autofill [5].
3. If you use Sync & Backup: you must consider recovery codes and sync state
Because Sync & Backup uses encrypted synchronization, deleting a password on one device may be mirrored by the sync system (or restored from another device) unless you also break the sync link or use recovery/backup controls described by DuckDuckGo’s pages. The setup flow encourages saving a Recovery Code and offers troubleshooting for sync – those recovery codes are part of the sync model and you should consult the Sync & Backup help pages when removing remote copies [6] [2].
4. Practical cross‑platform steps (Windows, macOS, Linux) — what the sources support
DuckDuckGo’s documentation and help pages direct you to the in‑app Settings pages (Passwords & Autofill; Data Clearing) on desktop builds to delete passwords and autofill entries; the import/export flows are also desktop‑accessible so removal there is the first step [5] [3]. Sources do not provide OS‑specific terminal commands or file paths for Windows, macOS, or Linux — available sources do not mention filesystem locations or platform‑specific steps beyond using the browser’s Settings (not found in current reporting).
5. Autofill vs. browser vs. external password managers — where confusion happens
Some guides and third‑party posts note that autofill data can sometimes be managed by the host browser (or by another password manager you’ve integrated), so clearing DuckDuckGo’s autofill may not affect entries stored by other apps [7] [8]. DuckDuckGo also supports integration with external managers (e.g., Bitwarden) and importing from Google Password Manager; removing DuckDuckGo entries won’t remove credentials held by those external managers unless you delete them there too [3] [8] [5].
6. Security tradeoffs and claims DuckDuckGo makes
DuckDuckGo states saved passwords are accessible only after device authentication (biometrics or passcode) and that autofill prompts won’t appear unless the domain signature matches a saved login, which reduces some phishing risks compared with blind autofill [1]. The Verge and DuckDuckGo materials also emphasize the feature is end‑to‑end encrypted to avoid a centralized account [2] [1].
7. Gaps, caveats, and things the sources don’t say
The provided sources do not offer a step‑by‑step checklist tailored to Windows vs macOS vs Linux for locally purging password stores or explicit instructions for revoking synced remote copies beyond general “sign out”/Data Clearing guidance (not found in current reporting). They also do not detail whether clearing via Settings immediately removes entries from all synced devices or whether a separate “wipe remote data” control exists (not found in current reporting).
8. Recommended safe sequence (based on available guidance)
1) Open DuckDuckGo desktop app on the device, go to Settings > Passwords & Autofill and delete unwanted entries; 2) go to Settings > Data Clearing (or enable the Fire Button Data Clearing option) to clear autofill and site data; 3) if you used Sync & Backup or Email Protection’s Autofill, sign out of Autofill and consult recovery code/sync pages to ensure no remote copies remain; 4) check any external password managers and remove duplicates there [5] [3] [4] [6]. These steps reflect what DuckDuckGo’s help pages and update notes recommend [3] [5] [6].
If you want, I can produce a concise, clickable checklist for Windows, macOS and Linux screens based only on the in‑app Settings steps DuckDuckGo documents.