How do I completely erase locally stored passwords in the DuckDuckGo browser on iOS and Android?

1. What “completely erase” means here — device-local storage and sync implications

DuckDuckGo’s password storage model keeps passwords, credit cards and “identities” on the device so the company cannot read them, which also means deletion must be done per device and synced state matters if sync is enabled; sources describe these items as stored locally on the device and note sync/import options exist ^{[1] [2]}. Because of that design, deleting data from one phone does not automatically guarantee removal from another device unless sync is turned off and the other device is also cleared, a practical limitation derived from the local-storage design described by DuckDuckGo and reporters ^{[1] [2]}.

2. Known pitfalls: cache clearing and local (HTML5) storage are not identical

Developers and users have documented that clearing cache or force‑stopping the DuckDuckGo app does not necessarily purge HTML5/local storage used by websites, which can persist session data and tracking tokens despite apparent clearing actions; this behavior was raised in a DuckDuckGo iOS issue thread reporting persisted local storage after force‑stop and cache clears ^[3]. That history means the generic “clear cache” instruction many guides give may be insufficient if the goal is to eliminate all locally stored credential material ^{[3] [5]}.

3. The actionable path supported by DuckDuckGo’s own updates and how to use it

DuckDuckGo’s product updates and app settings reference a dedicated Data Clearing control and a “clear all tabs and data” flow that can remove browsing data; the update notes point users to Settings > Data Clearing and HardReset-style guides describe an action to delete tabs and app data from within the app ^{[2] [4]}. Based on those documented controls, the recommended sequence is: update the DuckDuckGo app to the latest version (to ensure Data Clearing options exist) and then open Settings → Data Clearing (or use the app option to clear all tabs and data) to perform a full data wipe on that device ^{[2] [4]}.

4. Practical checklist and cross-device cautions drawn from reporting

Ensure the app is updated, confirm whether password sync is enabled on other devices (disabling sync first prevents re-population), and use the explicit Data Clearing / clear-all-data feature rather than relying on generic cache clears or force‑stops; guides and troubleshooting articles emphasize keeping versions current and checking sync because passwords are local and sync behavior affects recovery or deletion ^{[1] [2] [4]}. Reported user frustration with articles that only discuss cache suggests many users expect a finer-grained “clear passwords only” control; available sources do not establish a documented “delete only passwords” button, so the safest documented approach is the full data clear ^{[5] [2]}.

5. Limitations in the public reporting and final verdict

Public sources confirm: passwords are stored locally (DuckDuckGo/updates; DroidGuy ^[2]; p1_s3), there is a Data Clearing feature ^[2], and HTML5 local storage could persist after naive clears ^[3], but none of the supplied materials provide a step‑by‑step screenshot walkthrough of “delete saved passwords” on iOS vs Android or an authoritative per‑platform sequence beyond pointing to Settings → Data Clearing or “clear all data” flows ^{[4] [2]}. Therefore, the recommended, evidence-backed conclusion is to update the app, disable sync across devices, and use the app’s Settings → Data Clearing (or the app’s clear-all-data command) on each device to remove locally stored passwords; this is consistent with DuckDuckGo’s documentation and the community troubleshooting notes, and acknowledges that some lower-level local storage artifacts have historically resisted simple cache clears ^{[2] [1] [3]}.