DuckDuckGo The privacy-focused web browser is now available for download in an open beta for all Mac users. It’s still all about keeping your personal data private but it’s also mixed with some interesting new features.
Over the past several months, the company has been steadily working on the desktop version of the DuckDuckGo browser. Originally , The desktop browser was launched as a closed beta in April (Opens in a new tab)And from the looks of it, everything that was there at the time is in this new version. This includes things like “multiple layers of defense against external trackers”, According to the advertisement (Opens in a new tab). The new features are all about improving the user experience by specifically clearing annoying ads on YouTube. The developers also added some basic browser features that were missing in the first beta such as bookmarks bar and pinned tabs.
You can install the browser on your Mac by going to DuckDuckGo موقع (Opens in a new tab) The download should start automatically. Upon installation, you can import your own bookmarks and passwords from other browsers and password managers. The Windows version in development is currently only available for DuckDuckGo “Friends and Family”. The company said it expects a private beta release for PC over the coming months.
Old and new features
Before we get into the new, let’s move briefly to the returned features.
The previously mentioned layers of defense protect users from online bots, preventing companies from putting a unique identifier (known as a fingerprint) on you as a way to follow you online. Cookies are also blocked to ensure complete privacy. Earning Payout is the smartest encryption tool, which encrypts your internet connection, and fire button (Opens in a new tab). The latter is very cool because it completely clears all traces of your browsing session from your open tabs, cache, permissions, and back button history. But you also have the ability to “fight fire” for a website to save its data from mass deletion.
Among the new tools, one of our favorites is Duck Player which specifically stops ads and cookies that track users from YouTube videos. If the ad doesn’t track people, it will run as normal. But as it turns out, the vast majority of ads on YouTube videos track people, so most of them will be gone, according to DuckDuckGo. A company representative told us that Duck Player only works on YouTube and “will not work with other services at this time.”
DuckDuckGo has also modified its ad blocker to erase any whitespace left by ads for a cleaner look. And in the coming weeks, the browser is adding support for Bitwarden, allowing users to integrate a password manager for added protection.
The company requests feedback on how to improve the browser. You can submit your ideas to the developers by clicking the three dots below the fire button. There, you will find the feedback tool.
industry strengthening
In the ad, DuckDuckGo briefly mentions how other browsers have lackluster tracking protection. It also alludes to The recent news regarding incognito mode on Google Chrome is not so special. The developers at Google even joke about it being bad and this raises an interesting question about the safety of online privacy protection. Are browser developers really concerned about privacy?
DuckDuckGo isn’t the only privacy-focused browser. Mozilla Firefox and Opera have, in recent years, brought privacy closer to the center of their development efforts. But According to recent dataPrivacy-focused browsers are having a hard time gaining traction with users. Mozilla goes so far as to accuse tech giants like Apple and Microsoft of “abusing their privileged position” by making it difficult for users to switch browsers.
Until DuckDuckGo launches on Mac, there are other ways to increase online privacy. Make sure you check out List of TechRadar’s Best Privacy Tools for 2022 To find out what they can do to protect you.