Why I don’t search on Google
I stopped searching the way most people do and it changed how I see the web.
At some point I realized I wasn’t really searching anymore. I was navigating ads, promoted results, SEO-optimized pages, and whatever Google thought I should show interest in based on years of past behavior. Searching stopped feeling neutral.
That’s when I slowly moved away from Google and landed on DuckDuckGo. Not as a statement or a rebellion, but as a practical choice. The experience simply fits better with how I want to use the web.
Privacy by default
DuckDuckGo doesn’t try to know who I am. No trackers following me around. No persona being built in the background based on what I search, when I search, or how often I do it. I type a query, I get results, and that’s where the relationship ends.
That alone changes how searching feels. There’s no sense of being observed or remembered. It’s closer to how the web used to feel: transactional, temporary, and private.
Searches without memory
One thing I didn’t expect to value this much is consistency. Because searches are anonymous, the results don’t slowly drift over time. I don’t get different answers today because of something I searched for last week or a video I watched yesterday.
The same query gives me roughly the same results, every time. That makes search feel like a tool again, not a personalized feed that keeps adapting to me.
Results, not ads
When I search, I want results. Not ads pretending to be results. Not sponsored links quietly occupying the most valuable spots on the page.
DuckDuckGo doesn’t show me ads. At least, not in any noticeable way. Even when I search for things that would normally trigger sponsored results elsewhere, the page stays clean and focused.
That might be partly due to my setup. I use Brave as my browser and I’m usually behind a VPN, so it’s very possible ads are being filtered out before they ever reach me. Still, what matters is the actual experience: what I see is a list of links that try to answer my question, not promoted results fighting for attention.
Whether that’s DuckDuckGo itself, my setup, or a mix of both, the end result is the same. Less noise, less guessing, and a lot less mental friction.
Bang commands changed everything
Bang commands are one of those features that sound minor until they completely change how you browse. Typing !w, !yt, !gh, or !mdn and jumping straight into another site is faster than opening tabs, typing URLs, or relying on each site’s own search.
Over time, the search bar becomes a command line for the web. Once that becomes muscle memory, going back to a regular search engine feels slow and clumsy.
A page that feels like mine
I look at a search page dozens of times a day. Being able to customize colors, fonts, and themes sounds superficial, but it matters more than I expected.
DuckDuckGo lets the search page blend into the rest of my setup. Dark, because everything else is dark. Calm, readable, and consistent. It doesn’t fight for attention. It just sits there and works.
Less noise, more focus
The UI is clean, and that has real effects. No side panels. No distractions. No suggestions screaming for clicks. Just a search box and a list of results.
That simplicity makes it easier to focus on what I’m actually trying to find. The page disappears, and the content takes over.
Although, if we’re being honest, DuckDuckGo also has some rich result expanding at the top of the results. But from my experience that’s actually what I’m looking for in the first place. So it’s very much welcome.
A keyboard-first experience
Good keyboard shortcuts complete the picture. For when bang commands aren’t available—and there are thousands of them—navigating results, opening links, refining searches, all without touching the mouse. It fits naturally with how I already work: writing, researching, coding, and reading without breaking flow.
Search becomes part of the workflow instead of a detour.
It’s not about being anti-Google
Google still has great products. Maps is hard to replace. Docs are easy to use and quite handy. YouTube is its own universe. This isn’t about rejecting everything they do.
But when it comes to searching the web, I want something quieter, more predictable, and less interested in who I am. I don’t want a smart search engine. I want an honest one.
Takeaways
Moving away from Google isn’t just about principle—it’s about the experience. Searching should feel like a tool, not a product tracking you or shaping your results.
DuckDuckGo offers a cleaner, calmer space: consistent results, minimal distractions, and privacy by default. It puts the focus back on what you’re actually looking for.
Small features like bang commands, keyboard shortcuts, and customizable themes add up, making searching faster, smoother, and more personal. It’s not just a different engine—it’s a different way to search.
