How to turn on DuckDuckGo auto-delete for all searches on iPhone in 2025?
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Executive summary
As of the available reporting, DuckDuckGo’s iPhone app includes an “Auto Clear Data” (auto-delete) feature that’s off by default and can be enabled from inside the DuckDuckGo app (TechJunkie cites this feature) [1]. Apple-level settings and removing or changing default search engines (Safari’s default) are separate controls; several troubleshooting guides advise checking Settings > Safari > Search Engine or deleting the DuckDuckGo app or profile if you want to stop DuckDuckGo entirely [2] [3] [4].
1. What users mean by “auto-delete” and where the control lives
When people ask how to “turn on DuckDuckGo auto-delete for all searches on iPhone,” they usually mean the app’s Auto Clear Data (which purges recent tabs/history on a timer or on close). Coverage from TechJunkie describes “Auto Clear Data” as an in-app option that is disabled by default and that you must enable from within the DuckDuckGo app itself [1]. DuckDuckGo’s own updates page mentions other local data controls (downloads, identities kept on-device) but does not enumerate a single global “auto-delete all searches” Apple-level switch [5].
2. Steps to look for inside the DuckDuckGo app (what reporting shows)
Guides reporting on DuckDuckGo explain that Auto Clear Data is toggled inside the app: open DuckDuckGo, go to settings, and enable the Auto Clear Data/Auto Clear option (TechJunkie’s how-to), so the practical path is within the DuckDuckGo app rather than in iOS system settings [1]. Exact menu names and timing options aren’t detailed in the supplied snippets; available sources do not mention the precise taps or timer choices in the 2025 app UI.
3. iPhone-level alternatives and why they matter
If your goal is to ensure searches don’t show up anywhere on the device beyond the app, Apple-level controls exist: change Safari’s default search engine under Settings > Safari > Search Engine or delete the DuckDuckGo app (multiple troubleshooting pages recommend these steps) [2] [3]. Several Apple Discussion and support-style threads also warn that DuckDuckGo can appear or persist due to profiles or app extensions, so checking Settings > General > VPN & Device Management for profiles is recommended by technicians [4] [2].
4. Removing DuckDuckGo entirely — what the guides advise
If you prefer not to use DuckDuckGo at all, practical guides repeatedly say you can delete the DuckDuckGo app like any other app (tap-and-hold, Remove App > Delete App) or change Safari’s search engine to another option [3] [6]. Community threads show people reporting DuckDuckGo as the default search engine and instruct how to revert that in Safari’s settings [7] [2].
5. What the official DuckDuckGo updates page confirms and omits
DuckDuckGo’s updates page highlights features like local-only storage for Passwords & Identities and new options (e.g., delete files from downloads, Fire Button behaviors), showing DuckDuckGo emphasizes on-device privacy controls [5]. That page does not, in the provided excerpts, give a one-line iPhone “turn on auto-delete for all searches” instruction; available sources do not mention a single system-wide iOS toggle managed outside the app [5].
6. Conflicting or missing reporting — what remains unclear
Sources consistently point to an in-app Auto Clear Data toggle but do not provide the precise 2025 menu path, timing options, or screenshots for the current iPhone app [1]. They also do not document whether DuckDuckGo’s Auto Clear Data covers third-party app links opened in DuckDuckGo or only in-app search history; available sources do not mention that distinction [1] [4].
7. Practical next steps for readers who want to enable auto-delete now
Open the DuckDuckGo app and scan Settings for “Auto Clear Data” or similarly named privacy/clear-on-exit options, and enable it (TechJunkie summarizes this workflow) [1]. If your objective is to remove DuckDuckGo from the device altogether or change Safari’s default, go to Settings > Safari > Search Engine or delete the app via the Home Screen [2] [3]. If DuckDuckGo persists unexpectedly, check for profiles under Settings > General > VPN & Device Management as suggested by support guides [4].
Limitations and final note: the supplied sources confirm an in-app Auto Clear Data control and recommend iOS-level alternates, but they do not provide a full step-by-step walkthrough for the 2025 DuckDuckGo app UI nor settle whether one global iOS toggle exists — available sources do not mention that.