DuckDuckGo Browser—yeah, I gave it a shot a while back. It’s not just a search engine; the browser app, especially on desktop, is built around privacy: blocking trackers, auto-clearing history, and routing searches through DuckDuckGo’s no-log system. It felt clean, fast, and safe, like a lighter version of Brave or Firefox with privacy on by default. But here’s the catch: even though it’s designed to leave no trace of your browsing, the app itself doesn’t make it easy to leave your system. It installs background processes, integrates with default search settings, sets itself as the default browser quietly, and drops files in multiple hidden locations. What makes it tricky to fully remove is that it often doesn’t show up cleanly in the uninstall list, and even after you remove it, pieces of it linger—like the URL handler, startup entries, or registry keys that keep trying to launch it when you click a link. I’ve had it reappear as the default browser after a reboot, even after I thought I’d wiped it clean. And because it runs silently in the background to “protect” your search activity, those services don’t always shut down during a standard uninstall.
Uninstalling DuckDuckGo Browser on Windows 10:
I’ve cleaned this off a few machines, and the first thing I learned is: don’t trust the Settings app alone. Start by pressing Windows + I to open Settings, go to Apps > Apps & features. Search for “DuckDuckGo.” If it shows up, click it, then Uninstall, and follow the prompts. This usually runs a small uninstaller, but more often than not, it finishes quickly and leaves junk behind.
Now, press Windows + R, type appwiz.cpl, and hit Enter. This opens the classic Programs and Features window. Scroll through carefully—sometimes it shows up here as “DuckDuckGo Browser” or under “Duck Creek Technologies” (their legal name). If it’s there, uninstall it again.
Next, the real cleanup. Open File Explorer and go to:
C:\Program Files\DuckDuckGo\C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Local\DuckDuckGo\C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Roaming\DuckDuckGo\
Delete all of these folders. The AppData ones are hidden, so either enable “Hidden items” in the View tab or just paste the paths directly into the address bar. These hold cached data, settings, and the actual executable files.
Also, press Windows + R, type %temp%, and delete any leftover DuckDuckGo temp files.
Now, stop it from launching at startup. Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), go to the Startup tab, and look for “DuckDuckGo.” If it’s there, right-click and Disable it.
Then, open Services (search in Start), look for anything like “DuckDuckGo Update Service” or “Privacy Service,” stop it, and set startup type to Disabled.
Fix your default browser: go back to Settings > Apps > Default apps, click Web browser, and set it to Chrome, Edge, or whatever you actually use. DuckDuckGo often hijacks this without asking.
Finally, clean the registry. Press Windows + R, type regedit, and back up your registry first—right-click “This PC” > Export. Then go to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\DuckDuckGoHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\DuckDuckGo
Delete these keys. Also, check:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ddg\(for URL protocol handler)HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\ddg\
If they exist, delete them to stop links from trying to open in the missing browser.
Uninstalling DuckDuckGo Browser on Windows 11:
The process is similar, but Windows 11 hides things a little deeper. Click Start, press Windows + I, go to Apps > Installed apps. Search for “DuckDuckGo.” When it appears, click the three dots (⋯) and select Uninstall. Run through the steps.
But again, it might not be fully gone. Press Windows + R, type appwiz.cpl, and check the full list. Remove any related entries.
Now, manually delete leftovers. Go to:
C:\Program Files\DuckDuckGo\C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Local\DuckDuckGo\C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Roaming\DuckDuckGo\
Use Run with %localappdata%\DuckDuckGo and %appdata%\DuckDuckGo to get there fast.
Open Task Manager, go to Startup, and disable any DuckDuckGo entries.
Open Services, stop and disable any related services.
Fix your default browser: go to Settings > Apps > Default apps, then click Choose default apps by protocol or Set defaults by app, and reassign HTTP, HTTPS, and DDG links to your preferred browser.
For the registry, same as before: use regedit, back up first, then remove all DuckDuckGo keys under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\. This step is boring, but skipping it means you might still get error messages when clicking links or see it trying to launch in the background.
After all that, you’d think it’s gone. But I’ve had registry traces show up weeks later during system scans. That’s why I don’t do manual cleanup for apps like this anymore. I use PerfectUninstaller. It finds every hidden file, active service, browser association, and registry entry in one scan. It removes them completely, without leaving behind junk that slows things down or causes conflicts. If you’re serious about cleaning your system and not wasting hours on leftovers, just use PerfectUninstaller. It’s the only tool I trust to make sure DuckDuckGo Browser stays gone—quietly and for good.
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