How to Fix DuckDuckGo Not Working With a VPN [Tested]

Sometimes, the issue may not lie with DuckDuckGo, but with your VPN connection.

In order to protect its service from potential abuse, DuckDuckGo may occasionally block the IP addresses of certain VPN servers, especially if they’re shared by many users.

A quick way to check if that’s the case is to connect to a different server and then check if the search engine is working properly again.
 
Here’s how to go about it:

1. Go to your VPN app or extension, and find the servers list.



2. Connect to one you haven’t used before.
 


3. Go back on DuckDuckGo to see if your issues are resolved.

Note: You may need to go through this process a few times before finding a connection that works.

Another reason why DuckDuckGo might not work with your VPN is because of interference from your browser’s cache and cookies.

Sometimes, if you’ve previously visited DuckDuckGo without a VPN, your browser might still store data that clashes with your current VPN settings.

To resolve this issue, you simply need to clear that data.

Here’s how to do it, using Chrome as an example:
 
1. Click on the three dots icon at the top right corner of the browser.



2. Then, hover over More tools and select Clear browsing data.



3. Select the time range as All time, and check the boxes for Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. Next, click on Clear data.



If you’re on mobile, here’s how to go about the same process on Safari:

1. Click on Safari in the top left corner of the screen and select Preferences.



2. From the Privacy tab, access Manage Website Data.



3. Click on Remove All, then confirm by selecting Remove Now.



4. After clearing your browser cache and cookies, restart your browser and try accessing DuckDuckGo again.

Sometimes, your browser may be configured to use a proxy, which interferes with the way DuckDuckGo works.

This is because the search engine uses its own proxy servers to deliver results from other sources, and some VPNs may block or interfere with this process.
 
Here’s how to solve that depending on your browser.

For Google Chrome:
 
1. Click on the menu icon (three vertical dots) in the top-right corner. Then choose the Settings option:



2. In the System section, click Open your computer’s proxy settings.



3. Under Automatic proxy setup, toggle Automatic detect settings Off.
 


4. Click the edit button next to the Use proxy server option and turn off the switch underneath it to disable the proxy server.
 


For Mozilla Firefox:
 
1. Click on the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top-right corner and choose Settings.



2. Scroll down the General menu to the Network Settings section.
 


3. In the Connection Settings window, select the option for No proxy or Use system proxy settings and click OK to save the changes.



4. After disabling the proxy feature in your browser settings, try accessing DuckDuckGo with your VPN enabled to see if the issue is resolved.

The firewall on your computer can often interfere with different apps and services you’re using. If it’s set up to block either DuckDuckGo or VPN connections, you’ll need to make some adjustments.
  
Here’s how to do that on Windows: 
 
1. Type Firewall in the Windows search bar and open the Windows Defender Firewall application.
 


2. In the left sidebar, click on Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall.



3. Click on the Change settings button (admin access might be required).



4. Scroll down the list of applications and make sure both your web browser and your VPN application have checkmarks in both the Private and Public columns.
 


5. If you don’t see your web browser or VPN application in the list, click on the Allow another app… button and add them manually.



6. Click OK to save the changes and restart your computer, then try accessing DuckDuckGo with your VPN enabled to check if the issue is resolved.



And if you’re on macOS Ventura: 

1. Go to the Apple menu and select System Settings.
 
2. Click on Network on the left sidebar and select Firewall.
 
3. Tap on the Toggle to Disable Firewall.
 
4. Restart your computer and try accessing DuckDuckGo with your VPN enabled.
 
5. After adjusting the firewall settings, check if you can access DuckDuckGo with VPN enabled. 

DNS (Domain Name System) settings can sometimes interfere with DuckDuckGo connections. 

For example, sometimes, your DNS servers may filter or blacklist certain websites or domains. If DuckDuckGo or your VPN server’s IP are blocked, you won’t be able to access the search engine through your VPN. 

You can try changing the settings to a different provider, such as Cloudflare or Google DNS, which showed to work quite nicely with DuckDuckGo during our tests.
  
Here’s how to do it on Windows:
 
1. Click on the Start menu, type Control Panel, and hit Enter.

2. Go to Network and Internet.



3. Click on Network and Sharing Center.



4. On the left sidebar, click on Change adapter settings.



5. Right-click on the network adapter you’re using (e.g., Wi-Fi) and select Properties.



6. In the Properties window, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click on the Properties button.



7. In the new window, select Use the following DNS server addresses and enter the following addresses:

        – Preferred DNS server: 8.8.8.8 (Google DNS) or 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare DNS)   
        – Alternate DNS server: 8.8.4.4 (Google DNS) or 1.0.0.1 (Cloudflare DNS)
   
8. Click OK to save the changes.



9. Close the network adapter properties window, restart your computer, and try accessing DuckDuckGo with your VPN enabled to see if the issue is resolved.

10. After changing the DNS settings, check if you can access DuckDuckGo with your VPN enabled.

Some VPNs simply don’t work well with DuckDuckGo or have performance and security flaws that impact your browsing.

If that’s the case, you might consider switching to another VPN provider – one with the proper security and privacy features.

During our tests, CyberGhost showed flawless performance with the search engine.

Here’s how to get it up and running:

1. Visit CyberGhost’s website and pick a subscription.


2. Download the relevant app for your device and install it.



3. Open the app and log in with your credentials.



4. Select a server from the list or use the Smart Connect feature to find the right server for you.



6. Once connected, open your browser and go to the DuckDuckGo website.

You should be able to use DuckDuckGo without issues now.