DuckDuckGo has been busy shipping practical tweaks that hand real control back over what shows up in search and how AI appears when it actually helps rather than gets in the way. The through line is simple: tune the results, lower the noise, and keep things private without extra clicks or new habits to learn.
First up, permanent site exclusions let people block specific domains from results, so recurring low‑value sites stop clogging searches. The feature supports up to five domains that can be adjusted anytime, and it resets if browsing data is cleared, which keeps the setting simple and transparent.
If AI image spam is crowding out what matters, there is now a setting in the Images tab to hide AI‑generated pictures entirely, which is a rare and welcome choice in a modern search engine.
Image results are also easier to scan with larger thumbnails and clearer labels that show which site each image came from, cutting down guesswork when deciding what to click.
Inside the DuckDuckGo browser, Scam Blocker now covers more of the junk users actually encounter, including fake storefronts, sketchy crypto exchanges, and scareware pages, alongside the usual phishing and malware traps. It is free, on by default, and built to work without tracking, so protection kicks in the moment browsing starts and stays aligned with DuckDuckGo’s privacy stance.
On the AI side, Duck.ai offers two chat models with real‑time web access — Claude Haiku 3.5 and GPT‑4o mini — so when the moment calls for it, answers can pull fresh info and link to sources for context rather than guessing based on old data.
People can set the tone and length of responses and even how the model addresses them, with those preferences sticking across chats until changed, which makes the tool feel more personal and less one‑size‑fits‑all.
Search Assist answers also start short by design, and a More button now expands them into richer responses when a deeper dive is actually helpful instead of overwhelming the page by default.
There is a fresh toggle to switch between standard search and Duck.ai in the same view, so it is easy to pick the mode that fits the moment instead of jumping between pages. Not a fan of the new layout or just want classic results all the time? Flip it off in Search settings and carry on.
Put together, these updates make DuckDuckGo feel more tailored without adding friction, letting people block what they do not want, see cleaner results, and tap AI on their terms rather than the other way around. It is a steady push toward private search and browsing that listens to feedback — “you asked, we listened” — while giving control back to the person at the keyboard.
These changes alone are making me consider switching to DuckDuckGo after almost spending half my life using Google Search. But what are your thoughts on the new improvements? Let me know in the comments below.
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Dwayne Cubbins
1335 Posts
For nearly a decade, I've been deciphering the complexities of the tech world, with a particular passion for helping users navigate the ever-changing tech landscape. From crafting in-depth guides that unlock your phone's hidden potential to uncovering and explaining the latest bugs and glitches, I make sure you get the most out of your devices. And yes, you might occasionally find me ranting about some truly frustrating tech mishaps.
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