DuckDuckGo has been my default search engine for years. Its huge promoting level is that it does not observe you almost as a lot as Google does, however there’s extra to DuckDuckGo than that privateness declare. You should utilize DuckDuckGo to anonymously strive AI chatbots (together with ChatGPT and Claude), filter out AI-generated pictures from outcomes, and shorten URLs with out leaving the positioning. Should you’re utilizing DuckDuckGo, strive these 10 hacks to benefit from the search engine.
Flip off AI options to simplify your search expertise
DuckDuckGo lately added a bunch of AI options, however, fortunately, you may flip off most. To disable AI-related options in DuckDuckGo, go to the search engine’s settings web page. Subsequent, choose AI Options, then flip off Search Help and Duck.ai. This can get rid of AI outcomes and prompts to strive utilizing chatbots from the search engine’s dwelling web page.
Use AI chatbots anonymously to protect your privateness
On the flip aspect, as an instance you are fascinated about AI chatbots, however are frightened about your privateness. You should utilize DuckDuckGo to make use of ChatGPT, Claude, and different AI providers anonymously. To get began, head to Duck.ai. A drop-down menu beneath the search field permits you to select which LLM you want to use, and as soon as you’ve got chosen that, you should utilize your most popular AI service with out creating an account. This service is free, however there is a each day restrict to what number of AI searches you may carry out. The identical service additionally helps you to generate pictures and carry out fundamental picture edits, equivalent to eradicating a background out of your picture.
Use “bangs” to look different web sites and serps
DuckDuckGo is a reasonably competent search engine, however it does not all the time present you an identical outcomes as Google. Should you’re utilizing DuckDuckGo as your default search engine, you may nonetheless ask it to ship the search question to Google. To do that, add !g to your search question, and you will see that the search outcomes seem on Google. That is known as a bang, and you should utilize bangs in DuckDuckGo to look through different serps and web sites, too. For instance, !gi searches Google Photos, !w appears to be like for one thing on Wikipedia, and !r does a Reddit search. You’ll be able to see the total checklist of DuckDuckGo bangs on this web page.
Conceal AI-generated pictures from outcomes to concentrate on actual footage
Credit score: Pranay Parab
DuckDuckGo ships with a filter that removes AI slop from picture search outcomes. The filter is first rate on the job, however bear in mind that it might probably’t take away each single AI picture from the outcomes. You’ll be able to allow it by going to DuckDuckGo settings > AI Options > Conceal AI-Generated Photos.
Use this selection to dam sure websites out of your search outcomes
Should you’ve come throughout websites with low-quality content material on the internet, and also you want to block them out of your search outcomes, you are able to do that with DuckDuckGo. The following time you seek for one thing on the positioning, click on the three dots to the appropriate of any outcome, then click on Block this web site from all outcomes. That area will now not seem in search outcomes. You’ll be able to go to DuckDuckGo settings > Basic to see an inventory of blocked domains. You’ll be able to unblock domains too at any time.
Do away with DuckDuckGo’s advertisements to wash up the expertise
You may as well disable DuckDuckGo’s search advertisements, and all of the mentions of the corporate’s different merchandise on the house web page. Head over to DuckDuckGo settings > Basic, and switch off Commercials. This can flip off search advertisements, however observe that the corporate says it does not observe you to serve these advertisements. To take away prompts to make use of different DuckDuckGo merchandise, scroll to the underside of the identical settings web page, and switch off the next:
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Set up DuckDuckGo
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Privateness Newsletters
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Homepage Privateness Ideas
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Assist Enhance DuckDuckGo
You may as well go to the Look part in DuckDuckGo settings, and switch off the final possibility: ‘Protected’ Reminder. This can conceal the discover that claims your searches are protected.
What do you suppose thus far?
Change this setting to see extra info beneath search outcomes
Should you choose to see extra details about a specific search outcome, this search engine permits you to develop the size of the descriptions that seem beneath every hyperlink. I’ve expanded mine from three traces to 5, which supplies me sufficient info to resolve if a hyperlink is price clicking. You’ll be able to set this up by going to DuckDuckGo settings > Look > Max Snippet Size. Use the drop-down menu to vary this to five traces.
Use this shortcut to shorten URLs
Credit score: Pranay Parab
DuckDuckGo has a built-in URL shortener, too. Copy a URL and use the shorten command within the search engine to make use of it. For example, sort “shorten https://lifehacker.com/tech/15-of-the-best-iphone-privacy-hacks-everyone-should-know” within the search engine, and click on the search button. The primary outcome can be a shortened URL, which makes use of the is.gd URL shortener. Equally, you may as well develop shortened URLs through DuckDuckGo. Simply sort “develop” adopted by the shortened hyperlink, and the search engine will present you the total URL within the search outcomes.
Conceal your electronic mail tackle when signing up for brand spanking new accounts
It’s normal safety recommendation to make use of a password supervisor and a singular password for every of your accounts. The concept is easy: If one account is breached, the hacker does not acquire entry to all of your different accounts. You’ll be able to apply the identical logic to your username, which is your electronic mail tackle on most web sites. Should you’re utilizing the identical electronic mail ID to enroll in every web site, it may be a possible assault vector for hackers.
That is the place providers like DuckDuckGo’s E mail Safety step in. You should utilize it to enroll in a Duck electronic mail tackle, which generates a singular electronic mail tackle for every account you create. If an account will get breached, you do not have to fret about your electronic mail tackle being bought on the darkish net. Equally, if a shady web site sells its knowledge to advertisers, they’re going to solely get an anonymized electronic mail tackle, and never your actual one. You should utilize that to determine who bought your knowledge, and block that alias shortly.
Search “cheatsheet” to see keyboard shortcuts for in style apps
DuckDuckGo additionally has “cheatsheets” for a number of apps and providers, which present you generally used keyboard shortcuts for a given app. For instance, go to DuckDuckGo, then sort “cheatsheet Excel,” and the search engine shows an inventory of Microsoft Excel keyboard shortcuts on the high of the outcomes. The preliminary outcome exhibits 5 to 10 keyboard shortcuts, however you may click on the “Present Extra” button to disclose a whole bunch of shortcuts. This function does not work for each app, however you may strive it for in style apps equivalent to Photoshop, Lightroom, and Chrome. Remember to confirm the knowledge on this web page, since keyboard shortcuts typically change when an app is up to date.
