Privacy-focused search engine DuckDuckGo today launched a beta web browser for Mac users.
DuckDuckGo announced it was developing a fast, private browser for the desktop back in December last year. It's built from the ground up to respect your privacy without any complicated settings to wade through. Now Mac owners can experience what that looks like with the beta release of DuckDuckGo for Mac.
The new browser promises to offer DuckDuckGo's search engine built-in, cookie pop-up protection, email protection, and a "Fire Button" for one-click data clearing, all as standard features available after installation. The browser also uses the company's Smarter Protection system, which means you'll be visiting encrypted (HTTPS) versions of websites more often by default (over 80% of clicks will use encrypted connections based on how the mobile app performs).
The browsing experience is expected to be fast, with DuckDuckGo claiming it's "already faster than Chrome" on some graphics performance benchmarks, while using about 60% less data simply because it blocks a lot of trackers automatically. It doesn't skimp on expected features, either, offering bookmarks, tab management, a password manager, and additional privacy features if you want to fine tune the protection.
If Windows users are reading this with envy, don't worry, the DuckDuckGo for Windows browser is coming soon.
Mac users who want to try out this browser need to join a private waitlist, which requires downloading the DuckDuckGo mobile app. Once installed, open Settings > DuckDuckGo for Desktop which is located in the Privacy section, and then click "Join the Private Waitlist." The app will pop-up a notification when your invite code is available.