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What are the default history and privacy settings in DuckDuckGo browser?
Executive summary
DuckDuckGo’s products advertise “privacy by default”: the search engine and its apps/extensions state they do not log IPs or build user profiles, and features such as tracker-blocking, Smarter Encryption, and Global Privacy Control (GPC) are enabled by default in their browser/extension ecosystem [1] [2] [3]. Available sources describe defaults like blocking trackers, enabling GPC, and not saving search history on DuckDuckGo’s side, but do not provide a single line-by-line list of every switch and its factory position for every platform — device UI details and local browser history behavior vary and are described across DuckDuckGo help pages and independent reviews [4] [2] [5].
1. What “privacy by default” means for DuckDuckGo: the company line
DuckDuckGo’s published policy and help pages repeatedly state the core default claims: they do not track or log search queries tied to users, they don’t keep IPs or unique identifiers to disk, and they aim to stop collection at the source — so the service cannot create a history of your searches or build profiles of users [1] [4]. The help pages and privacy policy present these as built-in defaults of DuckDuckGo’s search and its official browser/extension products [4] [6].
2. Default technical protections you’ll typically get
Across DuckDuckGo’s apps and extensions the features described as enabled by default include tracker-blocking, automatic connection to encrypted (HTTPS) versions of sites when available, “Smarter Encryption,” and GPC being sent from the browser to signal privacy preference — all designed to reduce cross-site tracking and search-term leakage [2] [5] [3]. DuckDuckGo also says cookie- and tracker-related protections and automatic cookie-popup handling (where supported) are on by default in many builds [2].
3. Search history and local device history: two different things
DuckDuckGo emphasizes it never logs searches on its servers and therefore cannot produce a server-side history tied to you [1] [6]. Independent reviewers and guides note, however, that search terms may still appear in your local browser’s history unless you use private browsing or clear history — an important distinction users must manage on their devices [7] [8]. Available sources do not list every platform’s exact local-history default; they make clear server-side non‑logging is DuckDuckGo’s default while local device behavior depends on the browser/app [1] [7].
4. Global Privacy Control (GPC) and cookie handling: defaults and limits
DuckDuckGo says GPC is enabled by default in its browser and extensions to express an opt-out preference to sites [3]. Their web-tracking protection page asserts default behaviors to maximize privacy (for example, auto-closing or setting cookie pop-ups to the most private choice on many top sites), but also notes coverage is evolving and can be platform- or site-dependent, with options to disable in Settings [2].
5. Advertising, revenue model, and what defaults do not change
Even with privacy defaults, DuckDuckGo still serves contextual ads based on search keywords rather than personal profiles, which the company highlights as consistent with its no-tracking stance [4] [5]. That means you will see ads related to queries, but DuckDuckGo says these are not targeted via long-term tracking [4].
6. Where the reporting diverges and what’s not fully documented in these sources
Independent reviews praise the default protections but warn about limits: they emphasize that once you leave DuckDuckGo’s search results and visit third-party sites, privacy depends on those sites and on local browser settings — and that mainstream browsers or OS-level defaults can still expose history if you don’t use DuckDuckGo’s own app or private mode [5] [7]. Available sources do not provide a comprehensive factory-settings checklist for every DuckDuckGo app version or OS; for per-device defaults you must consult the app/extension settings pages or DuckDuckGo’s Settings/help pages [9] [10].
7. Practical takeaways and suggested checks for users
If you want DuckDuckGo’s advertised defaults: use the official DuckDuckGo browser or extension (which enable tracker protection, HTTPS upgrades, and GPC by default) and confirm in Settings that tracker blocking and GPC remain enabled; if you rely on a different browser, understand that server-side non‑logging still applies but local history and other browser features may still record searches unless you adjust device settings or use private mode [2] [1] [10]. For exact UI defaults on your platform, DuckDuckGo’s settings pages and the app’s help documentation are the sources to inspect [9] [10].
Limitations: this summary is based on DuckDuckGo’s official pages and reviews included here; the provided sources describe defaults at a product level but do not include a single, exhaustive, version-by-version default-settings table for every platform [1] [2].