DuckDuckGo Installs Rise as Users Shun Google AI

Following Google’s announcement of a major AI-driven overhaul of its search engine at its I/O 2026 developer conference, rival DuckDuckGo has reported a significant spike in user adoption. The privacy-focused search engine claims that U.S. app installs increased by an average of 18.1% week-over-week between May 20 and May 25, peaking at 30.5% on May 25 [2][3].

Key takeaways

• DuckDuckGo reported a peak install increase of 30.5% and an iOS peak of 69.9% following Google's I/O announcements [2][3].
• Google’s new search features include a conversational engine and AI Overviews, which critics argue reduce user control and accuracy [2][3].
• Visits to DuckDuckGo’s dedicated AI-free search page grew by an average of 22.7% during the same period [2][3].

Google's AI integration sparks user backlash

Google’s I/O conference revealed plans to transform its search box into a conversational engine capable of handling longer queries