How to start using DuckDuckGo as your search engine in 30 seconds

If you’re fed up with Google (qualms may include: Search Plus Your World providing useless results, changing privacy so you’re tracked across products, weird executives, etc.) it’s really easy to start using DuckDuckGo as your default search engine on your computer:

  • Safari: set hosts file to 184.72.115.86 search.yahoo.com and change your default search engine to Yahoo
  • Chrome: visit DuckDuckGo, right click address bar, Edit Search Engines..., find “DuckDuckGo”, click “Make Default”
  • Firefox: install this Firefox Addon
  • iOS device: install this app

I’ve been using it for a full day now and haven’t found any issue…

…well, truthfully, since the results are centered horizontally on the page I find myself having to move my mouse to the right a lot more. My muscle memory to immediately hover down and to the left once submitting a search query is surprisingly strong. Illustrated:

And why would you use DuckDuckGo? Well, they don’t track you (privacy) and don’t bubble you (relevance). And their logo is cute.