How do I turn off search suggestions and autocomplete in DuckDuckGo iOS app?

1. How to turn autocomplete and search suggestions off in the DuckDuckGo iOS app

Open the DuckDuckGo iOS app, tap the hamburger menu (☰), choose Settings, then navigate to the Private Search or Search Settings area and toggle off “Autocomplete Suggestions” and/or the “AI Suggestions” option; after making the change, restart the app to ensure the setting takes effect ^{[2] [1]}. The DuckDuckGo help pages explicitly instruct mobile users to go to Settings > Private Search to turn off “Autocomplete Suggestions” and “Recently Visited Sites” if those are the items producing suggestions ^[1].

2. What to disable (and what those toggles actually control)

“Autocomplete Suggestions” controls the deterministic keyword completions that appear as typing helpers, and “AI Suggestions” controls DuckDuckGo’s newer generative/AI-assisted proposals; both settings are exposed in the app’s Search/Private Search settings so users can opt out of either behavior ^{[1] [2]}. The company’s AI features were rolled out as optional layers on top of standard autocomplete, and some guides distinguish between the two so users who only want to stop AI rephrasing can disable that toggle while keeping ordinary keyword suggestions ^{[2] [4]}.

3. Verification, troubleshooting, and device scope

After toggling the relevant settings, restart the app and test by typing a sample query—many walkthroughs recommend a neutral phrase like “climate change” to confirm AI-style rephrasings no longer appear ^[2]. Keep in mind the setting is local to each device or browser context: disabling AI/autocomplete in the iOS app does not automatically change browser or desktop settings, so the feature must be turned off in every browser or device where DuckDuckGo is used ^{[3] [4]}. Some investigative reporting cited network traces suggesting calls to an AI suggestion endpoint occurred even when toggles appeared off, which users should factor in as a troubleshooting note and may warrant checking app updates or contacting DuckDuckGo support ^[2].

4. What disabling does not remove: instant answers and server-side cards

Turning off autocomplete/AI suggestions does not eliminate DuckDuckGo’s instant answer cards—tools like calculators, unit converters, or knowledge cards trigger server-side and intent-recognition flows after a search is submitted and will still appear even with suggestions disabled ^[4]. For users who rely on those quick cards, documentation and tests show instant answers remain functional after disabling suggestion toggles, and some advanced workarounds (like appending ia=0 on web searches) exist for web contexts though they’re not directly relevant to the iOS app ^[4].

5. Broader context, privacy trade-offs, and user choices

DuckDuckGo positioned itself as privacy-first but introduced AI-powered suggestions in late 2023 and by default some AI assist features may be enabled, prompting users to take explicit action if they prefer minimal predictive behavior ^{[2] [3]}. Guides emphasize disabling settings per device and per browser to avoid cross‑device surprises, and privacy-minded users should be aware of the distinction between client-side toggles and server-side features; reporting has noted both clear UI controls to opt out and isolated investigative findings that merit vigilance ^{[2] [3] [4]}. Where documentation is silent or network behavior appears inconsistent, the available sources do not provide a definitive technical audit—so contacting DuckDuckGo support or checking official help pages is the next logical step ^[1].