DuckDuckGo releases a major update: sync your valuable information across devices without selling your soul
DuckDuckGo is best known for creating a search engine that prioritizes user privacy, forgoing refinement and personalization of search results. You may not know it, but it also released a browser in 2021 and now the DuckDuckGo browser is getting a major upgrade.
DuckDuckGo browser users can now sync information like bookmarks and saved passwords privately across devices the new Sync & Backup function. This is a feature already found in many popular browsers, and it makes it quicker and easier to get started on a new device.
In addition to syncing saved passwords and bookmarks across your phone, PC, and tablet, you can also sync DuckDuckGo’s email security settings. DuckDuckGo’s email security, a free email forwarding service, is another of the privacy and security features that helps users stay protected by removing hidden email trackers and makes it easier to access private email addresses directly. However, you don’t need to create new email accounts as you can use this feature with your existing email address.
In addition to syncing passwords and bookmarks, you can also backup these types of information that you consider valuable, in case the device you want to store them on gets lost or damaged.
According to DuckDuckGo, you don’t even need to log in (or even create an account) to use Sync & Backup in the browser, since DuckDuckGo never opens or sees your passwords or bookmarks. Users could previously import all their passwords and bookmarks from other browsers (a common feature in most modern browsers), and now that flexibility is being expanded to sync across devices with an emphasis on privacy. Again, syncing passwords and bookmarks between platforms is also found in many modern browsers, but it’s good to see a company trying to reassure customers that their data and information is safe.
DuckDuckGo doesn’t mince its words
The DuckDuckGo browser quite boldly calls itself a “privacy-respecting alternative to Chrome and other browsers.” You can get it on many platforms: Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android (sorry, Linux fans). It also states that you can take passwords and bookmarks between different platforms “without compromising your privacy,” which sounds like DuckDuckGo is strongly implying that other browsers’ sync features are putting your personal data at risk.
These are pretty definitive and confident claims, but DuckDuckGo may have a pretty good argument for them. As stated in the announcement post, it’s true that Chrome is constantly trying to get you to sign in to your Google account to use features like sync and backup features. This allows Google to collect data about your browsing activity, which it can package, use, and sell for targeted advertising.
Unlike, DuckDuckGo’s privacy policy is to not track user activity at all, and you can access features like importing and syncing data without an account. The built-in password manager stores and encrypts password information locally on your device, rather than sending it to a remote (and possibly unsecured) server. Even if you choose to sync data between devices, the encryption key to decrypt your data is also stored locally on your device, and only on your device. This is to ensure that your device is the only device that can even unlock your password. By comparison, Google uses a range of encryption strategies, including cloud storage of encryption keys, customer-managed encryption keys, and specialized storage mechanisms.
How to take advantage of the new DuckDuckGo feature
To try out this functionality of the DuckDuckGo browser, you will need to do this download it on two or more eligible devices. If you’re already on the DuckDuckGo browser bandwagon and already have it, you’ll want to make sure it’s up to date and update it if you don’t want to get these new features. Once updated, you can sync your data by following these steps:
1. Go to the DuckDuckGo browser Institutions.
2. Go to Synchronization and backup.
3. Click Sync with another device.
4. Follow the instructions for the process as described below Start syncing column.
If you’re doing this from a tablet or mobile device, you can pair devices by a QR code.
If you follow these instructions for a desktop device, you will need to manually enter an alphanumeric code.
If you are working on one primary device, you can go to the Single device installation section inside Institutions and click Sync and backup this device. Once you’ve done this, you’ll see a list of all the devices you’ve synced together, edit device nicknames, and further customize your settings.
Once you’ve gone through the sync and backup process, you’ll receive a recovery PDF from DuckDuckGo, which you’ll want to save somewhere safe on your device or preferably elsewhere (such as in your email account, a private cloud storage account from your choice, or on external storage). This PDF contains important information to help you access and recover your personal information, including your personal information Recovery code which contains your own unique encryption key. This is especially important information because your recovery key is the only way to get your backup data from a new device.
Overall, this is a very solid move by DuckDuckGo, and I won’t lie: I’m intrigued and will try it on my personal device. It attempts to remove ads that track users, including ads that are often blocked by ad blockers, thus limiting the need for a third-party ad blocking app or extension. It’s also trying to reduce the number of cookie notification pop-ups users encounter and many more privacy-related measures that it says aren’t offered by its competitors. It seems like DuckDuckGo is really making an effort to make privacy one of the biggest selling points for users, while at the same time making it as easy as possible to set up and configure. Of course, many of these features already exist in other popular browsers, but DuckDuckGo actually looks like it wants to put control back in the hands of its users.