To switch the model for the conversation you are viewing in DuckDuckGo AI Chat (Duck.ai), click the model’s name in the chat input area and choose another option. You can also click the reverse-direction arrows below the latest answer. To change the model used for new chats by default, click the current model name in the left sidebar and select a replacement. The available choices depend on what DuckDuckGo currently offers to your account, so use the live picker rather than relying on an old model list.
How to switch AI models in DuckDuckGo AI Chat
DuckDuckGo provides two related controls: one changes the model for the chat you are currently using, and the other changes your default model for future chats. The quickest way to change the active conversation is in the composer at the bottom of the chat.
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Method 1: Use the model name in the chat input area
- Open Duck.ai and enter the conversation whose model you want to change.
- Look at the chat input area, where the name of the currently selected model is displayed.
- Click that model name to open the model picker.
- Choose another model from the list. The newly selected model becomes active for that conversation.
The label you see is the current model name, not a general settings link. If the list opens but does not contain the model you expected, the model may not be offered to your account, may have been replaced, or may be temporarily unavailable.
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- Find the most recent answer in the chat.
- At the bottom of that answer, locate the icon showing two arrows pointing in opposite directions.
- Click the reverse-direction arrows icon.
- Select a model from the picker that appears.
DuckDuckGo describes these as the two controls for changing a chat model: the current model name in the input area and the reverse-direction arrows icon beneath the latest response. The arrows are attached to the latest reply, so if you are looking for them, scroll to the bottom of the current answer rather than to the top of the conversation. See the official DuckDuckGo model instructions for the documented labels.
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How to change the default model for new Duck.ai chats
Changing the model in the composer or from the arrows changes the active chat. If you want a different model to be selected automatically when you start another conversation, use the default-model control in the sidebar.
- Open the left sidebar in Duck.ai.
- Click the name of the model currently shown there.
- Choose the model you want to use as the default.
- Start a new chat and check the model name in the input area to confirm the selection.
The sidebar control is separate from the model name in the composer. Selecting a model for one conversation therefore does not necessarily change the default used for the next conversation. If your interface is narrow and the sidebar is collapsed, open the sidebar first; the control is identified by the current model name, not by a generic “settings” label.
Active chat model versus default model
| What you want to change | Where to click | What it affects |
|---|---|---|
| Model for the conversation currently open | Current model name in the chat input area | The active chat |
| Model for the latest response | Reverse-direction arrows below the latest response | The model selection offered from that reply’s controls |
| Model selected by default | Current model name in the left sidebar | New chats and the default selection shown when you begin one |
When troubleshooting, first decide which result you need. If you only want to continue the current conversation with another model, use the composer or arrows. If every new chat should begin with another model, change the sidebar default as well.
Which models can you select?
DuckDuckGo’s model catalog changes. The company’s current model page lists the following choices by subscription tier at the time of publication, but DuckDuckGo also publishes help pages with different lists. Treat the picker shown in your own Duck.ai account as authoritative for your account and date.
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| Access level | Models listed by DuckDuckGo | Documented distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Anthropic Claude 4.5 Haiku; Mistral AI Mistral Small 4; OpenAI GPT-5.4 nano; OpenAI GPT-5.4 mini; gpt-oss-120b hosted by Tinfoil.sh; Gemma 4 31B hosted by Tinfoil.sh | These are the free choices listed on DuckDuckGo’s model page. |
| Plus additions | GPT-5.6 Terra; Claude Sonnet 4.6 | DuckDuckGo lists these as additional Plus choices. |
| Pro additions | Claude Opus 4.8; GPT-5.6 Sol | DuckDuckGo says Pro includes higher reasoning effort and higher usage limits for the listed Pro access. |
Model names, plan rules and limits are not permanent specifications. One other DuckDuckGo subscriber-help page returned in the same set of official documentation lists a different combination, including GPT-5.4, and describes Pro differently. That inconsistency is why copying a list into your notes can produce the wrong answer later. Open the live picker in Duck.ai to see which models your account can select now. DuckDuckGo’s model availability page and its broader Duck.ai help page are useful references, but neither replaces the account-specific dropdown.
Where is the model picker?
In an open conversation
Start at the bottom of the conversation. The model name is displayed in or beside the message-entry area. Clicking that name opens the active-chat picker. If you have just received a response, the opposite-direction arrows at the bottom of that response open the same kind of model-changing control.
For the default selection
Look to the left side of the Duck.ai interface. The sidebar shows the current default model name. Click the name itself to change the default; the control is not necessarily represented by a gear icon or a menu titled “models.”
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Expand the left navigation before searching for the default model control. The exact layout can vary with window width, but the documented target remains the current model name in the left sidebar. The composer control is usually easier to reach when you only need to change one conversation.
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How to choose among the available models
DuckDuckGo’s documentation establishes availability, provider/model names and plan-level distinctions such as reasoning effort or usage limits. It does not establish a reliable, permanent ranking that makes one model best for every task. Choose from the models your picker actually shows, then match the choice to your immediate requirement rather than assuming a larger name guarantees a better answer.
Use the picker for availability first
Open the dropdown before planning a workflow around a particular model. A model can disappear from a plan, be replaced by a newer version, or be unavailable during a service change. The live list also tells you whether your account is currently recognized as Free, Plus or Pro for model access.
Consider the plan distinction shown by DuckDuckGo
If your account has Plus or Pro access, the picker may expose additional models. DuckDuckGo says the Pro tier listed on its model page includes higher reasoning effort and higher usage limits, but the exact options and wording can change. Do not infer a performance score, response speed or answer quality from the plan name alone; those details are not established by the cited help pages.
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Switch for a specific task, not as a permanent ranking
For a one-off experiment, change the active chat model through the composer and leave your sidebar default alone. For a recurring workflow, change the sidebar default only after confirming that the selected model is available to your account and fits the limits shown in Duck.ai. This avoids unintentionally changing the starting model for every later chat.
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Troubleshooting model switching
The model name is not visible
- Check the bottom of the chat where the message-entry area appears; the current model name is tied to that area.
- Scroll to the latest answer and look beneath it for the reverse-direction arrows.
- Open the left sidebar if you are trying to change the default rather than the current conversation.
These are the three documented locations. If none appears, reload Duck.ai and check the current interface after signing in again. Avoid assuming that a missing label means the feature has been removed; the layout can change while the control remains associated with the composer or sidebar.
The model you want is not in the list
- Confirm that you are viewing the live picker for the correct Duck.ai account.
- Check whether the model is listed only for Plus or Pro rather than Free.
- Allow for model-catalog changes: DuckDuckGo’s official pages do not all show the same tier list.
- Use the model page linked above to compare the current public description with what your account shows.
Do not treat an older screenshot, article or help-page list as proof that a model should still be selectable. The account’s dropdown is the practical availability check.
The selection does not seem to affect the chat
After selecting a model, look again at the model name in the input area. That label is the confirmation for the active conversation. If you intended to change the default, verify the name in the left sidebar and then open a new chat. Changing one control does not automatically prove that the other control changed.
You clicked the arrows but cannot find the picker
The reverse-direction arrows are below the current model’s latest reply, not necessarily beside the input box. Scroll to the bottom of the newest response, click the icon, and select from the resulting list. If there is no latest response, use the model name in the input area instead.
Your subscription appears to have the wrong choices
Subscription labels and model availability can be updated at different times across DuckDuckGo’s help pages. Record what the live picker shows, rather than relying on a page that describes an earlier catalog. If the account should have access but the picker does not reflect it, sign out and back in, then consult DuckDuckGo support through its current help flow; the cited documentation does not promise that every plan change is reflected instantly.
Privacy when changing models
Switching models does not by itself turn on chat history or Sync & Backup. DuckDuckGo says it does not record or store chats by default and says conversations are not used to train models by DuckDuckGo or the underlying model providers. Those statements are qualified by DuckDuckGo’s privacy documentation, so they should not be read as a promise that no data can ever be retained under any circumstance.
If you enable Sync & Backup, DuckDuckGo says chats are stored in end-to-end encrypted form. The company also describes provider agreements and provider-specific exceptions, including short-term prompt caching for some providers and possible legal or abuse-related retention for Anthropic. Read the full Duck.ai privacy explanation before enabling optional storage or sending sensitive material.
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The provider name shown in the model picker therefore matters for transparency, but it is not a reason to make an unsupported claim about one model’s privacy being universally better than another’s. Use DuckDuckGo’s current privacy page for the qualifications that apply to the service and its providers.
Quick Recap
A practical workflow for switching models
For a single answer
- Open the existing chat.
- Click the model name in the composer or the arrows below the latest response.
- Select an available model.
- Confirm that the model label in the composer reflects the choice before sending your next prompt.
For all new conversations
- Open the left sidebar.
- Click its current model name.
- Select the desired default.
- Start a new conversation and verify the model label before entering a long prompt.
When comparing models yourself
- Use the same prompt in separate chats so that the conversation history does not influence one result.
- Write down the exact model name and the date, because DuckDuckGo’s catalog can change.
- Do not treat one response as a permanent benchmark; the official help pages provide availability and plan information, not a universal quality ranking.
- Keep optional Sync & Backup considerations in mind if the prompts contain personal or confidential information.
Quick checklist
- Need to change only the open chat? Click the current model name in the input area.
- Prefer a control under the response? Click the reverse-direction arrows below the latest reply.
- Want every new chat to start differently? Click the current model name in the left sidebar.
- Cannot find a model? Check the live picker and your subscription tier instead of relying on an older list.
- Handling sensitive prompts? Review DuckDuckGo’s privacy qualifications, including Sync & Backup and provider-specific retention exceptions.
Official references
- DuckDuckGo: What AI chat models are available?
- DuckDuckGo: Duck.ai help
- DuckDuckGo: Which advanced models do I get for Duck.ai?
- DuckDuckGo: How does Duck.ai protect my privacy?
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