How do I enable DuckDuckGo auto-delete for all searches on iPhone step-by-step (iOS 18)?

1. What the sources actually describe: DuckDuckGo’s Auto Clear Data and manual clears

The clearest instructions in the supplied material describe an Auto Clear Data option that “means that your tabs and your data will be automatically cleared upon the restart of the app,” and that the Fire button in the app immediately clears tabs and data ^[1]. TechJunkie’s guide explains that Auto Clear Data is off by default and that you can turn it on from inside the DuckDuckGo app; it also highlights the Fire icon at the bottom of the app for one‑time immediate clearing ^[1].

2. No iOS 18 step‑by‑step setup found in provided results

None of the search snippets or pages in the set provide a step‑by‑step walkthrough explicitly referencing iOS 18 or showing the exact taps and menu names on iOS 18 to enable “auto‑delete for all searches.” The available guides are general app instructions ^[1] and device‑level removal instructions ^{[2] [3]} but do not document iOS 18 UI or a persistent “auto‑delete all searches” switch tied to iOS settings ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

3. What you can reasonably try in the DuckDuckGo app (based on the sourced guidance)

The documented method to get automatic clearing behavior is to enable Auto Clear Data inside DuckDuckGo so that tabs and data are cleared when the app restarts; otherwise use the Fire icon to instantly “burn” history and tabs ^[1]. TechJunkie states “Auto Clear Data is turned off by default, but you can always turn it on,” implying an in‑app setting controls this behavior ^[1].

4. iPhone system‑level actions referenced in sources (uninstall/remove app) — different goal

If your goal is to remove DuckDuckGo entirely or stop it from being available as a browser, the sources point to standard iPhone removal steps: tap and hold the app and choose Remove/Delete, or go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage and delete DuckDuckGo from the list ^{[3] [2]}. Those actions remove the app but do not equate to an “auto‑delete all searches” setting while keeping the app installed ^{[3] [2]}.

5. Conflicting or missing details and what that implies

The supplied material mixes overview guidance and troubleshooting (clearing history, Auto Clear Data, uninstalling) but lacks authoritative screenshots, exact menu paths for current iOS versions, or an explicit iOS 18 confirmation ^{[1] [2] [3]}. Because the sources do not mention an iOS 18‑specific toggle or a search‑engine level auto‑delete applied system‑wide, asserting that a specific sequence of iOS 18 taps will enable a global auto‑delete would be unsupported by the provided reporting ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

6. Practical next steps and caveats

Based on the documented app features, open the DuckDuckGo app and look for an “Auto Clear Data” option (to clear on restart) and the Fire icon (to clear immediately) — that is the closest available mechanism to “auto‑delete” documented in the sources ^[1]. If you want the app removed entirely, use the standard iPhone delete methods in Settings > General > iPhone Storage or long‑press on the icon ^{[2] [3]}. Available sources do not mention an iOS 18 system setting or a DuckDuckGo setting labeled “auto‑delete all searches” beyond Auto Clear Data and the Fire clear feature ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

Limitations: reporting supplied here is limited to the three provided sources; more precise, iOS 18‑specific steps may exist in DuckDuckGo’s official support pages or updated guides but are not present in the current search results ^{[1] [2] [3]}.