This AI-free Google alternative is surging in popularity - how to try it for yourself

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Do you use Google for your searches but don't want all the AI slop? There is an alternative that's growing in popularity, and its name is DuckDuckGo.

Like many companies, Google has been adding more AI to its products and services -- and that includes its dominant search engine. Run a Google search, and instead of getting the traditional results, you're likely to be hit with an AI overview that may or may not answer your question and may or may not be accurate.

Also: I found an easy way to automatically keep AI out of my search results - and it works in nearly every browser

At its recent 2026 I/O conference , Google unveiled a slew of AI upgrades to search . Among them are a new AI search box, agents that can find things for you, links to local businesses, and the ability to serve up more personalized answers. On the surface, those enhancements sound promising. But then we go back to the flaws and fallibilities of AI.

Though its accuracy may have improved over time, AI can still make mistakes. You can't be certain whether the information in the AI overview is correct. Further, the overview may not fully or adequately answer your question. For those and other reasons, many people are turning away from AI-powered searches toward a more classic approach. And that brings us to DuckDuckGo.

Since Google's AI-based announcements at I/O 2026, DuckDuckGo has seen a surge in users and installs.

"People aren't just complaining about Google's AI search overhaul, they're leaving," DuckDuckGo said in a Tuesday post on X . "Yesterday alone, our week-over-week installs surged 30% in the US. Momentum is growing. It's time to fire Google."

Also: Sick of AI in Search? These 7 Google alternatives still put links first

Here, DuckDuckGo is referring to installations of its apps and browser across all platforms, both desktop and mobile.

Starting May 19, these installs jumped by 18.1% compared with the previous week, peaking at 30.5% on May 25, a DuckDuckGo spokesperson told ZDNET. Over the same period, installs of DuckDuckGo's iOS app led the pack with an average growth rate of 33%, peaking at 69.9% on May 25.

Visits to DuckDuckGo's no-AI search page, which turns off AI-generated features by default, rose by an average of 22.7% week-over-week with a peak of 27.7% on May 24.