DuckDuckGo says app installs rose as Google pushes AI Search

In short: DuckDuckGo says more people are downloading its app after Google changed Search to show more AI-made answers by default.

What's going on

Google recently overhauled Google Search at its I/O 2026 event. Instead of mostly showing a list of blue links, Google is now using AI agents more often. AI agents are tools that try to answer your question and even do tasks for you, like a helper that acts on your behalf.

That shift has sparked complaints from some users and publishers. Critics say AI summaries can be wrong, and that people do not always get a clear choice to turn AI features off. Others worry it could reduce visits to websites, since users may stay on Google’s own answer instead of clicking through.

DuckDuckGo, a privacy-focused search company, says it is seeing a bump from people looking for a simpler, more traditional search experience. The company said U.S. app installs rose 18.1% on average week over week from May 20 to May 25, compared to the prior period. It said the increase lasted six straight days and peaked at 30.5% on May 25.

DuckDuckGo also said visits to its “AI-free” search page, noai.duckduckgo.com, grew 22.7% week over week on average, peaking at 27.7% on May 24. That page turns off AI features by default.

What to watch

DuckDuckGo still accounts for only about 2% of the U.S. search market, so it is not clear if this jump will last. A key question is whether Google adds clearer opt-out options, or whether more people keep switching to alternatives when they want plain links instead of AI answers.

Source: TechCrunch AI