DuckDuckGo sees iPhone installs spike in the US following AI announcements at Google I/O
DuckDuckGo says U.S. iPhone installs jumped after Google I/O’s AI-heavy Search announcements.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
DuckDuckGo says Google’s latest AI push in Search appears to have sent more U.S. users its way, with iPhone installs rising fastest. The company points to AI-free search interest and says the spike was stronger in the U.S. than elsewhere.
Google changed its search tools to use more AI, and some people did not like that idea.
DuckDuckGo says more people in the U.S. started trying its app on iPhones after that announcement, like kids switching to a different playground when the first one changes too much.
DuckDuckGo also has an AI-free search page, and visits there went up too. That suggests some people want search that feels more plain and familiar.
Analysis
What happened
DuckDuckGo told 9to5Mac that it saw a sustained surge in U.S. users after last week’s Google I/O keynote, with iPhone app installs leading the way. The company said U.S. iOS installs were up 33% week over week on average, compared with 18.1% growth overall.
Why the spike may have happened
The timing lines up with Google’s AI-heavy Search announcements at I/O, where the company said it is bringing more AI into its search experience. DuckDuckGo argues that some users may want a more traditional search flow, and that the bump looks tied to Google’s U.S.-focused announcement rather than a worldwide trend.
DuckDuckGo also said visits to noai.duckduckgo.com, its AI-free search version, rose 22.7% on average week over week. The company said U.S. growth ran multiples of the international rate and remained strong through Memorial Day weekend, when activity usually slows.
The bigger picture
DuckDuckGo is not anti-AI in a blanket sense. The company has been testing AI features itself, but it emphasizes that they are optional and that users can avoid them entirely through its AI-free search page. This story is less about a viral product launch and more about user preference: some searchers appear to be looking for a simpler, less AI-forward alternative as Google changes its core product.
Key points
- DuckDuckGo says U.S. iPhone installs rose after Google I/O’s AI-heavy Search announcements.
- The company reported 33% week-over-week growth in U.S. iOS installs on average.
- Visits to noai.duckduckgo.com, DuckDuckGo’s AI-free search page, rose 22.7% week over week on average.
- DuckDuckGo said U.S. growth outpaced international growth and stayed strong through Memorial Day weekend.
- The company suggests the jump may reflect a response to Google’s U.S.-centric Search changes.
