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How to uninstall DuckDuckGo on Mac completely

The DuckDuckGo browser keeps your bookmarks and saved passwords only on your Mac, so removing it without a backup can lose them. If you have a DuckDuckGo subscription, it may also have added a VPN configuration. Here is how to save what matters and then remove all of it.

Uninstaller: a list of apps sorted by size with when each was last opened, Google Chrome selected with its app and cache sizes
  1. Open MacWashing and choose Uninstaller in the sidebar.
  2. Click Show Apps and check DuckDuckGo in the list.
  3. Click Remove and confirm. Files that may be yours are listed as Possible and stay unchecked.
Download MacWashingHow it works

Free trial · macOS 14 or later

Save your bookmarks and passwords first

DuckDuckGo’s help pages warn that bookmarks and passwords are stored locally and are deleted when you uninstall the browser. The way they recommend to keep them is Sync & Backup:

  1. Open DuckDuckGo and go to Settings › Sync & Backup.
  2. Choose Sync and Back Up This Device and follow the instructions on the screen.
  3. Save the Recovery Code somewhere safe: you need it to get your data back on a new install.

Your bookmarks and passwords then come back when you install DuckDuckGo again and connect it to Sync & Backup.

Delete DuckDuckGo in Finder

DuckDuckGo has no separate uninstaller. Remove it the standard way:

  1. If you use DuckDuckGo VPN, disconnect it first.
  2. Quit DuckDuckGo: right-click its icon in the Dock and choose Quit.
  3. Open Finder › Applications and drag DuckDuckGo to the Trash.
  4. Enter your administrator password if macOS asks for it.

What DuckDuckGo leaves behind

Check these places, all in the Library folder inside your home folder:

  • ~/Library/Application Support/com.duckduckgo.macos.browser — the browser’s data.
  • ~/Library/Containers/com.duckduckgo.macos.browser — the app’s container with more of its data.
  • ~/Library/Caches/com.duckduckgo.macos.browser — the cache.
  • ~/Library/WebKit/com.duckduckgo.macos.browser — data that websites stored in the browser.
  • ~/Library/Preferences/com.duckduckgo.macos.browser.plist — settings.
  • ~/Library/Group Containers/HKE973VLUW.com.duckduckgo.macos.browser.network-protection.system-extension — data of the VPN component.
  • ~/Library/Group Containers/HKE973VLUW.com.duckduckgo.macos.browser.subscription — subscription data.

Your bookmarks and saved passwords are in DuckDuckGo’s data folders: delete them only after Sync & Backup is on, or if you don’t need them.

Remove the leftovers by hand

  1. In Finder, choose Go › Go to Folder (Shift-Command-G), type a path from the list above and press Return.
  2. Move the folder or file to the Trash.
  3. Repeat for the other paths.
  4. Restart your Mac, then empty the Trash.

DuckDuckGo isn’t the only app that leaves files behind: see how to uninstall apps on Mac completely.

If you used DuckDuckGo VPN

When you set up DuckDuckGo VPN, you allowed it in System Settings and it added a VPN configuration to your Mac. That entry can stay after the app is gone. Check it:

  1. Open Apple menu › System Settings and click VPN in the sidebar.
  2. If DuckDuckGo is listed, click the Info button next to it.
  3. Click Remove Configuration and confirm.

Then open System Settings › General › Login Items & Extensions (in macOS Sonoma: Login Items) and make sure nothing from DuckDuckGo is left there.

With MacWashing, it’s one click

Uninstaller: a list of apps sorted by size with when each was last opened, Google Chrome selected with its app and cache sizes

The Uninstaller in MacWashing knows the files DuckDuckGo creates in your Library folder and removes them together with the app. Folders that may hold your own files are listed as Possible and stay unchecked until you check them yourself.

Download MacWashingHow it works

Free trial · macOS 14 or later

Questions and answers

Will MacWashing delete my own files when it removes DuckDuckGo?

No. The Uninstaller checks only what belongs to the app: its settings, caches, logs and background items. Folders that may hold your own files are listed as Possible and stay unchecked until you check them yourself, and apps go to the Trash by default, so you can put them back.

What if DuckDuckGo is still running?

MacWashing waits for it to quit, or quits it at your request, and only then removes its files.

Is it free to uninstall DuckDuckGo with MacWashing?

Yes, within the free trial: System Junk and the Uninstaller free up to 25 GB in total, with no account or card needed.

Will uninstalling DuckDuckGo delete my bookmarks and passwords?

They are stored only on your Mac, so they are gone once the browser and its data folders are deleted — unless you turned on Sync & Backup before. Then they come back when you connect a new install.

Does uninstalling DuckDuckGo cancel my subscription?

No. The subscription belongs to your DuckDuckGo account, not to the app. Manage or cancel it in the subscription settings.

Can I reinstall DuckDuckGo later?

Yes. Download it again from duckduckgo.com. To get your bookmarks and passwords back, connect it to Sync & Backup with your Recovery Code.