DuckDuckGo says it has seen a sharp increase in usage following Google’s latest Search announcement at I/O, where Google introduced its biggest Search upgrade in 25 years and expanded AI features across results. The rival search engine said users are responding negatively to Google’s AI-first approach and are moving to DuckDuckGo because it allows people to turn AI features off entirely.
In a post on Tuesday, DuckDuckGo said, “People aren’t just complaining about Google’s AI search overhaul; they’re leaving,” adding that its week-over-week installs in the U.S. rose 30% in a single day. The company said the momentum has continued to build after Google’s event.
According to data DuckDuckGo shared with Tom’s Guide, the app’s installs in the U.S. increased by an average of 18.1% week over week between May 20 and May 25. Growth was much stronger on iPhone, where installs averaged a 33% week-over-week increase and reached nearly 70% on May 25. The company also said traffic to its “No AI” website rose 22.7% week over week, with peak growth of 27.7% on May 24.
DuckDuckGo founder and CEO Gabriel Weinberg said Google is “force-feeding AI” into Search without giving users a way to opt out. He argued that this makes results worse rather than better and said DuckDuckGo wants to offer an alternative centered on user control. Weinberg said the recent jump in installs suggests more people are seeking search tools that let them choose how much AI they want, or avoid it completely.
DuckDuckGo does offer its own AI tools, including the duck.ai chatbot and a Search Assistant that provides AI-generated summaries similar to Google’s AI Overviews. However, those features can be turned off in the app or website settings, and users can also hide AI-generated images from search results. That opt-out approach is being positioned as a major difference from Google’s current Search experience.
Google has been increasingly promoting AI Overviews and AI Mode, while reducing the prominence of traditional organic results. DuckDuckGo pointed to an earlier survey showing that 90% of respondents did not want AI in search, reinforcing its argument that many users prefer a more traditional search experience. The company says the recent surge in interest reflects growing demand for search engines that put user choice ahead of mandatory AI integration.
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