What are the main privacy tools in DuckDuckGo's mobile browser?

1. Private search by default and minimized ad profiling

DuckDuckGo’s mobile browser ships with DuckDuckGo Private Search built-in, which the company says does not track or store user search histories and shows ads based only on the search results page rather than cross-site profiling; this reduces creation of long-term user profiles that ad networks normally compile ^{[1] [6]}.

2. Tracker blocking and third‑party protections

Core to the browser is blocking of third‑party trackers and multiple targeted protections beyond basic blocking — specifically 3rd‑party Tracker Loading Protection, Link Tracking Protection, CNAME cloaking protection, and Google AMP protection — all intended to cover different tracking vectors that ordinary browsers may leave exposed ^{[2] [1]}.

3. HTTPS enforcement and increased encryption

The app enforces HTTPS where possible and advertises “increased encryption” to help prevent passive interception and downgrade attacks; this is a standard privacy hygiene feature the company highlights as part of its bundled protections ^{[7] [1]}.

4. Anti‑fingerprinting measures and cookie controls

The browser advertises “Escape Fingerprinting” to make it harder for sites to combine device and browser signals into a unique identifier, and it includes an automatic cookie consent tool to automatically set privacy‑friendly cookie preferences and reduce consent‑collection friction that otherwise enables tracking ^{[8] [5]}.

5. App Tracking Protection (Android) and local VPN mechanics

On Android, DuckDuckGo offers App Tracking Protection (beta) that blocks trackers in other installed apps; the app explains this feature uses a local VPN connection technique to filter tracker requests on‑device but is not a full VPN service — a distinction emphasized in store listings and help pages ^{[9] [8]}.

6. Convenience privacy features: Fire Button, App Lock, and Email Protection

For quick operational privacy, the browser includes a Fire Button to clear tabs and data with one tap and an Application Lock to secure the app with biometrics; it also offers Email Protection (a private relay-style email aliasing service) as an integrated feature to reduce tracker links and fingerprinting through email ^{[3] [7] [8]}.

7. Paid extras and subscription‑level services

Beyond the free browser, DuckDuckGo’s subscription adds a full device VPN, Personal Information Removal services, and identity‑restoration offerings; these are separate paid features that extend privacy beyond the browser itself ^{[1] [6]}.

8. Tradeoffs, historical caveats, and what the browser does not claim

Independent reporting and the company’s disclosure note tradeoffs: the mobile browser’s engine relies on the OS WebView (so its core rendering is platform dependent) and past contractual/technical limitations meant some Microsoft-owned scripts were not initially blocked, a problem the company says it addressed later; the browser is oriented to stop collection rather than offer absolute anonymity or advanced anti‑surveillance tools like Tor ^{[5] [10] [4]}. Where sources do not enumerate specific fingerprinting efficacy metrics or a formal independent audit in these snippets, that remains an open reporting limit ^{[8] [2]}.

9. Bottom line: breadth over maximalism

The DuckDuckGo mobile browser assembles a layered, user-friendly set of privacy tools aimed at preventing tracking and reducing data footprints: integrated private search, broad tracker and cookie protections, HTTPS enforcement, fingerprinting mitigation, app‑level tracking filters on Android, and quick‑clear/lock utilities — while offering paid extras for broader device protection; users seeking threat‑model–level anonymity or measurable resistance to advanced fingerprinting should pair it with other tools and consult independent evaluations because the browser’s design choices prioritize usability and collection‑minimization over absolute, research‑grade anonymity ^{[1] [2] [3]}.