DuckDuckGo Adds "Copy Clean Link" to Strip Trackers From URLs on iPhone

DuckDuckGo has introduced a "Copy Clean Link" feature in its iOS app that removes tracking parameters from URLs before sharing. The feature deletes everything in a URL after the "?" character, which usually holds tracking data, and creates a clean link without those details.

This option is only available on iPhone for now. Users need to choose "Copy Clean Link" directly, as using the standard copy method still includes the tracking information. The feature is not available through the usual copy or share options.

How Copy Clean Link Works

The feature deletes the part of a URL beginning with the "?" character, which often contains tracking parameters that can identify the person sharing the link. Removing this data results in a clean link, making it harder for trackers to connect the link to the original user.

As ZDNet points out, users could already remove tracking data by editing the URL themselves. The main benefit of the new feature is convenience, since it replaces manual editing with a single tap.

Copy Clean Link is not available when selecting a link normally or using the Share button. To use it, users must first open the link in the DuckDuckGo app:

1. Open the link in the DuckDuckGo iOS app.
2. Long-press the address bar and select "Copy Clean Link." Another option is to tap the three lines in the bottom right, scroll down, and choose "Copy Clean Link."
3. Share the cleaned link as normal.

If you use the standard iOS "Copy" option, you will copy the full URL, including tracking data.

Availability, and a Brave Alternative

Copy Clean Link is only available in DuckDuckGo's iOS app for now. On other platforms, users can get the same result by manually deleting everything in a URL after the "?" character. ZDNet notes this is usually easier to do on desktop than on mobile devices.

Brave has a similar "Copy Clean Link" feature. In Brave, users can long-press the address bar on a page or long-press any link in the browser to access the option. DuckDuckGo does not currently support cleaning links directly from the link itself.

DuckDuckGo has not said if Copy Clean Link will come to its Android or desktop apps. It is also unclear if the feature will be added to the share sheet, so users could clean links without opening them in the browser first.

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