DuckDuckGo Adds YouTube Ad Blocking to iPhone Browser App

DuckDuckGo released version 7.222.0 of its iOS browser app, adding the ability to block video ads on YouTube — a feature users can manage under Settings > Ad Blocking.

The update also preserves access to Duck Player, the company’s distraction-free video viewing mode, alongside the new ad-blocking capability.

What’s New on iPhone

The release adds a second quality-of-life feature: a long-press shortcut on the address bar that surfaces quick actions including Share, Copy Link, and Close Tab.

The official changelog confirms the update also carries unspecified bug fixes and general improvements.

Android Update Ships the Same Day, Says Little

DuckDuckGo pushed an Android update — version 5.281.1 — on the same day. That changelog reads only: “This update includes various bug fixes and improvements.”

The company offered no detail on which bugs it fixed, no list of new features, and no confirmation on whether YouTube ad blocking is coming to Android.

Where DuckDuckGo Stands

DuckDuckGo built its reputation on private web search and tracker blocking. In recent years it has expanded the browser steadily, adding Duck Player, built-in tracker protections, an email privacy tool That Strips tracking pixels from incoming messages, and AI-assisted search features.

YouTube ad blocking fits that pattern. Google’s video platform serves ads through its own infrastructure, which makes them harder for standard content blockers — browser extensions that filter out unwanted content using filter lists — to intercept reliably.

By building the capability directly into the browser, DuckDuckGo sidesteps that limitation without requiring users to install third-party tools.

YouTube parent Alphabet generated $8.93 billion in YouTube advertising revenue in the first quarter of 2025 alone, according to the company’s earnings filing. Ad blocking at scale on the platform draws sustained attention from Google, which has repeatedly updated its systems to detect and limit the effectiveness of third-party blockers.

DuckDuckGo has not said publicly How It implemented the feature or how it plans to maintain it as YouTube’s ad-delivery systems change.

The iOS app is available on the Apple App Store. DuckDuckGo does not disclose active browser user figures separately from its broader search traffic data, which the company said averaged over 100 million searches per day as of figures it has cited in past public statements.