DuckDuckGo’s beta Mac app is open to public with new features

DuckDuckGo’s web browser for Mac is now available as an open beta test, the Internet privacy company announced today. Six months after the web browsing app rolled out as a closed beta, DuckDuckGo added new features to version 0.30, including a “Duck Player” to defend users from targeted ads and cookies when they watch YouTube videos.

With the new Duck Player, YouTube will still register views, however, none of the videos will contribute to a user’s YouTube advertising profile, so they don’t see personalized ads.

Other new features include pinned tabs, a bookmark bar, the ability to view locally stored browsing history, immediate access to built-in email protection and password protection from the open source password manager Bitwarden.

The company also revealed an improved Cookie Consent Pop-Up Manager, claiming it can automatically handle cookie pop-ups on “significantly more sites,” DuckDuckGo wrote in its blog.

Another upgrade to DuckDuckGo for Mac is that when it blocks ads, the whitespace that’s left behind is now removed.

DuckDuckGo aims to be an all-in-one privacy solution that’s easy-to-use for everyday browsing. In June, its mobile app took the No. 2 spot for search engines in the U.S., Canada, Australia and the Netherlands.

“Since announcing the waitlist beta in April, we’ve been listening to beta testers’ feedback and making even more improvements to meet your needs,” the company wrote. DuckDuckGo noted that more built-in features would be added over time.

DuckDuckGo for Windows is launching a private waitlist beta in the coming months.

DuckDuckGo launches Mac app in beta