Brave sets new browser growth record as DuckDuckGo reports 76% jump in US installs following Google AI changes
Privacy-focused browser Brave and search engine DuckDuckGo are each reporting significant growth milestones, and both point to the same catalyst: Google’s aggressive push to make AI-generated summaries the default search experience.
Brave Hits New Heights
Brave — a browser built around ad-blocking and privacy — crossed 117.56 million monthly active users in May 2026, according to figures shared by CEO Brendan Eich on X. Daily active users grew 3.1%, and Eich called it the second-best browser growth month of the year, with new user volume reaching an all-time high.
Eich also noted a spike in Android and iOS installs in the US immediately after Google I/O 2026, the company’s annual developer conference. Android daily active users, he said, have returned to record levels after a previous dip.
The browser is gaining ground in other ways too. Several competing browsers have begun adopting Brave’s ad-blocking technology. The team has also shipped Brave Origin — a desktop feature that removes built-in AI tools and what the company calls “bloatware” — to its stable release channel, making it available to all users.
DuckDuckGo Breaks Its Own Records
DuckDuckGo, the privacy-centered search engine, says its US installs peaked at 76% above pre-announcement averages following Google’s AI search rollout. The company also reports breaking its single-day search record.
That follows an already notable 30% week-over-week jump in US installs reported just days earlier, along with a threefold spike in traffic to its dedicated “No AI” search page.
DuckDuckGo has been direct in its messaging. The company posted publicly that “people don’t want AI forced on them” and has promoted its approach of making AI an opt-in toggle rather than the default. In responses to users, it has also emphasized that its search rankings are “strictly non-political” and do not factor in any site’s perceived ideological leanings — a pitch aimed at users skeptical of how Google surfaces and suppresses results.
A Shared Opportunity — With an Uncertain Shelf Life
The parallel growth stories reflect a broader tension. Google is wagering that users will adapt to AI-generated answer summaries appearing at the top of search results. Brave and DuckDuckGo are wagering that a meaningful share of users will not.
For Brave, the appeal centers on privacy controls, tracker blocking, and easier integration with non-Google search engines. For DuckDuckGo, it is the promise of search where artificial intelligence remains a choice rather than an imposition.
The harder challenge for both companies will be retention. Surges driven by backlash tend to be volatile. Whether these gains hold — or whether users drift back to Google once the novelty of the change fades — remains the open question both companies will need to answer in the months ahead.
