The news: US installs of DuckDuckGo’s mobile browser and search engine spiked after Google made Search the starting point for genAI services.

• DuckDuckGo's US app installs rose on average 18.1% week over week (WoW) between May 20 and May 25, with WoW growth peaking at 30.5% on May 25, per TechCrunch.
• iPhone installs alone jumped an average of 33% WoW, with a 69.9% peak.
• Traffic to DuckDuckGo’s NoAI site grew 22.7% on average WoW. Growth was mostly US-specific.

“Google is force-feeding AI with no way to opt out,” DuckDuckGo founder and CEO Gabriel Weinberg said in a statement. “We want to be the place that puts users in charge and allows them to decide how much or how little AI they want.”

Zooming out: While DuckDuckGo’s US market share was just 1.74% in April, per StatCounter search‑engine rankings, the recent spike in US iOS installs indicates a desire for choice and privacy and a resistance to AI by default without opt-outs. US users are at the forefront of privacy and make up nearly half (46%) of DuckDuckGo’s worldwide traffic, per Similarweb.

It remains to be seen if these installs will continue, but DuckDuckGo’s surge reveals some users will leave their default search engine when the core experience changes. 

Implications for brands: The value in this consumer-led spike lies in proving that privacy‑focused, AI‑free search has a dedicated and growing audience, even if it doesn’t move the needle in market share.

• Brands should monitor short-term behavioral signals like installs and traffic while also tracking whether those gains stick over time. 
• Diversify media and search strategies—across AI-driven and privacy-first environments—to hedge against platform volatility. 
• Plan buys around evolving user intent, preference for control, and tolerance for default AI experiences for more cohesive user engagement.