Andy Walker / Android Authority
There are a handful of specific web browsing tasks that I’d rather my phone forget, especially those that demand heightened privacy and security. This includes mundane searches I’ll never revisit or more personal tasks like purchasing an item online or logging into a streaming service to tweak a setting. For all these instances, I switch from the digital fingerprint that is my primary browser to a secondary, privacy-first browser.
I’m always looking to streamline my workflow, so for the longest time, Chrome’s Incognito Mode was my go-to solution. However, a far better, more sensible option was right there in the Play Store all along.
I recently joined the DuckDuckGo bandwagon and am so glad I did. While the company is best known for its Google Search alternative, it’s also responsible for my new favorite privacy browser on Android. Let me explain why.
Have you tried DuckDuckGo browser on Android? 40 votes Yes, it's my main browser now! 15 % Yes, it's my secondary browser. 15 % Yes, and I still use it but very rarely. 10 % Yes, but I no longer use it at all. 13 % No, but I use the search engine on another browser. 20 % No, and I don't really want or need to. 28 %
A great secondary browser with a focus on privacy
Andy Walker / Android Authority
First, let me say this: there’s nothing wrong with using Incognito Mode to keep your main browser data separate from snapshot web tasks. Using Chrome for this allowed me to reduce the number of browsers I had installed while keeping my accounts and history separate from random searches and Wikipedia rabbit holes. But this wasn’t an optimal solution. I often forgot to activate Incognito Mode, which defeated the purpose entirely. I later swapped to Mozilla’s privacy browser, Firefox Focus, but its single-tab design is far less flexible than Chrome. I needed a solution as swift as Google’s browser, one that wouldn’t store my browsing data if I didn’t want it to, and one that prioritized privacy. This led me to DuckDuckGo.
How many browsers do you use on your smartphone? 28 votes 1 21 % 2 50 % 3 18 % 4 or more 11 %
I’ve been using this avian-inspired browser for the past few weeks. While many users online feel it’s too basic for their primary browsing habits, I see its simplicity as one of its alluring qualities, making it perfect as a secondary browser.
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