Privacy-first DuckDuckGo browser adds password sync feature

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DuckDuckGo, the company behind the privacy-oriented search engine and web browser of the same name, has introduced a new Sync & Backup feature for its browser. It lets you sync your saved passwords, bookmarks, and Email Protection settings across multiple devices. In line with the firm’s privacy-first approach, the feature doesn’t require an account to sync the information.

DuckDuckGo browser can now sync saved passwords across your devices

DuckDuckGo isn’t a household name in the browser world but is fairly popular among privacy-conscious users. It takes pride in being extremely privacy-oriented while still offering most of the features you expect from a web browser if not all. One of its biggest drawbacks was the lack of a password sync feature. People using DuckDuckGo for privacy couldn’t access their saved passwords across their devices.

The company has now addressed this limitation. With the new Sync & Backup features, you can find your saved passwords, bookmarks, and more on the DuckDuckGo browser on all of your Android or iOS phones, tablets, and computers. However, since it doesn’t require an account, you will have to manually link all your devices to sync the information. Follow the steps below to do that.

Once you have updated DuckDuckGo to the latest version, click on the three vertical dots in the top-right corner and select Settings. Tap on Sync & Backup and select Sync With Another Device. If asked, unlock your device to verify your identity. Now, repeat these steps on all of your devices. On phones or tablets, you will see a QR code. On laptops and desktop computers, you will find an alphanumeric code.

Scan the QR code on one device from the other or manually enter the alphanumeric code to sync the devices. If only one of your devices synced, go back to the unsynced device and select Sync and Back Up This Device under the Single-Device Setup menu in Sync & Backup. This should sync the device with others. You will find a list of all your synced devices here. You can edit device names and adjust your settings.

DuckDuckGo Sync feature 2

Your data is end-to-end encrypted

DuckDuckGo makes you sync your devices manually to protect your privacy. This ensures that your data remains end-to-end encrypted throughout the process. “Your passwords are completely inaccessible to anyone but you,” the company assures. “That includes us: DuckDuckGo cannot access your data at any time,” because the unique key needed to decrypt it is stored locally on your devices.

This means DuckDuckGo can’t help you recover the saved data in case you lose or damage your devices. Thankfully, there is a workaround that works locally. When you first set up Sync, you will be asked to download a Recovery PDF. The document contains your recovery code. You have to scan this code to recover your passwords and other saved data on DuckDuckGo. Make sure to store this document securely on some other device.

DuckDuckGo Sync feature 3

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