Incognito mode is a web browser feature that prevents your browsing history from being saved. While incognito mode in any of the top four web browsers provides some privacy, it does not obscure your online activity. Here’s how the functionality works in each browser and how you may utilize it.
What is incognito mode?
Incognito mode is a web browser privacy feature that allows you to browse the internet without the browser storing your history, cached pages, cookies, or other activity data on your local device. While Chrome has Incognito mode, practically all other browsers support incognito browsing.
Most web browsers that you use to browse the internet by default maintain a log of the websites and pages you visit. Having your “history” saved allows you to locate and access stuff at a later time.
The majority of browsers can momentarily pause this data collection, so the websites you visit will remain private—at least from other users of that particular browser.
The setting is known by a different name in each browser. There is Incognito Mode in Chrome, InPrivate Mode in Microsoft Edge, Private Browsing in Safari, and Private Mode in Firefox.
For example, they could come in handy if you were preparing a surprise for someone you share a tablet or computer with.
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How does the “incognito” mode work?
By switching to incognito mode, online browsers such as Google Chrome, Safari, and Firefox are prevented from locally storing information about your browsing activities. As a result, when someone else (such as a family member) uses your device, your search and browsing histories will not be visible. However, using an incognito browser doesn’t truly obscure your online behavior because your ISP, other third parties, and the websites you visit can still track you.
What is the safety of using Incognito mode?
While safe, private browsing and incognito mode are undoubtedly not a panacea for internet privacy. For instance, anyone in charge of your device or online accounts, as well as your internet service provider (ISP), can view your IP address and the searches you conducted while in Incognito mode.
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Does My History, Cache, and Cookies Need to Be Manually Cleaned?
The absence of cookies, cached pages, and browsing history is the reason why private browsing modes don’t require deletion.
If you do not utilize a private browsing mode, clearing your cookies, cache, and history will have the same effect as browsing privately in that no other user of your device will be able to see what you have been doing.
Using Incognito mode has advantages.
By turning off your smartphone’s record of your online activities, you may prevent friends and relatives who borrow your device from knowing what you’ve looked for or visited. This is the advantage of using Incognito mode.
It stops your passwords, search histories, and browser history from being saved on a shared computer or another person’s device while enabling you to use it.
cookies and browsing history are erased upon closing the browser.
Private browsing and Incognito mode limitations
Let’s talk about what the incognito mode does not have.
Your network activity is not concealed by it.
Locally speaking, your actions are concealed. To prevent anyone with access to your device from learning what you performed on it. Nevertheless, everything you do is still visible to someone keeping an eye on your network. And this someone might be a hacker hiding on your machine, the government, or your internet service provider. It might be the network team if you’re accessing the internet from your office, or it might be staff members if you’re at a college or school.
You cannot conceal your activity from your office or school, even if you use incognito mode.
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It must be “activated.”
You must open a specific window for it, regardless of whether you’re opening an Incognito window in Chrome or a Private Browsing session in Firefox. Regular windows are the default ones. Thus, if you fail to click on the designated window, you will leave historical evidence behind. All locally stored data, including cookies, passwords, and this history, must be removed. Your surfing information will be exposed for public viewing if you neglect to do that. An effective workaround for this issue is to use an incognito browser. Browsers such as the Kingpin browser function in incognito mode by default, allowing you to be anonymous and never make mistakes.
You’re still trackable by advertisers.
Advertisers are still able to monitor your online activities, even while you are using an incognito browser. Have you opened Amazon and browsed over picture frames? Congratulations, every page you visit now has picture frame advertisements. It will be pointless if you’re sick of being watched and are using incognito mode as a result. Nevertheless, you can avoid being followed by advertisements by using private browsers like Kingpin. The way advertisements follow you everywhere you go may occasionally be downright unsettling. Ads, cookies, and history are all absent from the Kingpin browser. With genuine private browsing, it’s a clean online experience.
Tabs cannot be hidden.
You are using the incognito mode on your computer. You’re on the phone and have seven or eight tabs open. Before you can stand up from your chair, you must shut the tabs. Naturally, this means that you won’t be able to open them again because the browser won’t remember them. That is a common problem for users of incognito mode. Nevertheless, you just need to click once to hide your tabs when using the Kingpin browser. Establish a 4-digit PIN so that when you go back, it may be used to unlock the tabs. You can now browse safely. If you have to leave your desk, there’s no reason to lose your work.
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Everything that you downloaded is present.
You’re casually following your ex’s profile on the internet while you browse. She’s with another guy, huh? There’s nothing to worry about because you downloaded the image and then forgot about it because you were using incognito, right? False! Almost everything you download in incognito mode remains on your computer, including torrent files, pictures, movies, documents, and more. Therefore, be sure to manually remove every file you’ve downloaded if you’re using Incognito.
Your browser may track you.
Every browser differs from the others in a few specific ways. A website you visit can distinguish between Chrome and another browser that is also Chrome but uses different extensions if, for instance, you are using Chrome with five certain extensions installed. Consequently, you become more visible online the more plugins you install. Even when utilizing incognito mode, the website will still be able to identify any plugins that are installed on your browser. By boosting your fingerprint, you’re making your browser more unsafe if you’re using plugins to improve security. Use a secure browser like Kingpin if you want security features rather than piling on too many plugins.
DNS inquiries will make everything clear.
Anyone who queries DNS on your device will be able to know the websites you have visited, even if you have been using incognito mode. The good news is that not everyone is proficient with DNS database searches, so your family may be unaware of the Amazon orders you placed for Christmas.
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How to Turn Off Chrome’s Incognito Mode on a Computer
On a Windows computer, you may disable Chrome’s incognito mode by making a registry addition. Though it seems difficult, it’s rather simple:
Closing the Incognito browser window is the best way to exit incognito mode and resume regular browsing. Chrome will open normally in public surfing mode when you restart it.
In the search box, type “CMD” after selecting Start.
Click Command Prompt with a right-click and choose Run as Administrator.
Type REG ADD HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome /v IncognitoModeAvailability /t REG_DWORD /d 1 in the Command Prompt window and hit Enter.
How to Turn Off Chrome’s Incognito Mode on a Mac
The steps to disable Chrome’s incognito mode on a Mac are a little different, but the effect is the same. The primary distinction is in the way Macs manage registry editing.
Click Go > Utilities in the Finder.
Launch the Terminal application.
Enter the following: defaults write -integer 1z for com. google. chrome IncognitoModeAvailability.
Hit the Enter key.
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How to Turn Off Firefox’s Private Mode on a Computer
The feature of the Firefox browser is not known as Incognito Mode. It’s Private Mode instead. However, you may still turn it off.
Launch Firefox.
Choose Add-ons from the Hamburger Menu located at the upper right corner of the browser window.
Type “private begone” into the search box at the top of the page.
Choose Private Begone from the list of results. With this add-on, Firefox’s Private Browsing will be fully disabled.
Click Add to Firefox.
Click Add if the Add Private Begone pop-up window appears.
The installation will finish when you choose Okay, Got It.
After quitting any open Firefox sessions, launch Firefox again. Firefox should no longer open in a private window for you.
How to Turn Off Microsoft Edge’s InPrivate Browsing
On Microsoft Edge, disabling InPrivate Browsing necessitates paying closer attention to details.
Shut off any open instances of the Microsoft Edge browser.
In the search box, type “REGEDIT” after selecting Start.
Choose Registry Editor from the Start menu search results. Choose Yes if Windows asks you if you want to let the program make modifications to your machine.
You can locate HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\ in the tree on the left pane. Microsoft.
Go to the menu by right-clicking on Microsoft and choose New > Key.
The key is called “MicrosoftEdge.”
After creating the key, MicrosoftEdge, right-click and choose New > Key.
Let’s call this new key “Main.”
Right-click on the Main key. Choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value from the menu.
Give the new key the name “AllowInPrivate.”
Make sure the AllowInPrivate DWORD is set to 0 by double-clicking on it. Set it to 0 if it is any other value.
Choose OK. The Registry Editor can now be closed.
Give your machine a reboot. The InPrivate option will not be available to you going forward when using Microsoft Edge.
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How to Turn Off Android Phones’ Incognito Mode in Chrome
There is no built-in method for Android users to turn off Chrome’s incognito mode, unlike desktop PCs. It is possible to install a third-party program that accomplishes the same task, though.
Open your phone’s Google Play app.
Once you find the app, search for Disable Incognito Mode and install it.
Start the app called Disable Incognito Mode.
Press the “Open Settings” button.
Enable the DisableIncognitoMode feature from the settings panel. When an application asks for permission, tap Allow to grant it.
To make the app vanish from the phone’s app screen, you may alternatively go back to the app and select the Hide icon after Setting.
How to Turn Off Safari’s Private Mode on iPhones
With the Content & Privacy Restrictions options, you can turn off Private Mode in the Safari browser on iPhones.
Select Screen Time under Settings.
Select Turn on Screen Time from the Screen Time page.
Once you’ve read an overview of the benefits of the Screen Time feature, click Continue.
Select This is My Child’s iPhone if you’re configuring parental controls on your child’s device.
You can choose the hours during which the phone is unavailable if you’d like. Apply limits on the following page in the same manner. On the Content & Privacy page, tap Continue.
To ensure that only you can access these settings, create a passcode.
Select Content & Privacy Limitations. Should you be prompted for the passcode, enter it.
Swipe the button to the right to enable Content & Privacy Restrictions.
Select Content Restrictions.
Click on Web Content. Press the Limit Adult Websites button on the Web Content page.
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How Operating Systems & Browsers Handle Incognito Browsing
On PC, Mac, and Android, you may turn off Chrome’s incognito mode; however, it isn’t available on iPhones. As Safari is iOS’s default browser, you can instead disable private browsing on the iPhone. Regarding Firefox and Microsoft Edge, you may turn off their private browsing modes on PCs but not on Macs. Additionally, since Firefox requires a plug-in to run on PCs, be advised that anyone with a modicum of tech knowledge can easily disable it.
It is important to know which browsers are installed on the computers and devices being used if you are attempting to regulate someone’s online activities. Limiting Safari on the iPhone, for instance, is useless if Chrome or Firefox are also loaded because you can’t turn off private browsing for those programs.
What does Netflix’s incognito mode entail?
You can watch content on Netflix in private mode, which prevents it from showing up in your “Continue Watching” area or in any of your statistics. Choose Account > Profile and Parental Controls > Edit Profile, enable incognito mode and then select your profile symbol to access it.
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In 2024, would it still be possible to browse the internet safely and privately?
Yes, but not by utilizing the private or incognito modes of a browser.
With the help of virtual private networks, or VPNs, websites you visit won’t be able to determine who you are or where you are in real time. Your IP address is the unique number that your computer, phone, or tablet is allocated online. Additionally, they encrypt all of the data you send and receive online, rendering it incomprehensible to anybody lacking a decryption key.
A reliable VPN service should also have a no-log policy, which guarantees that the service won’t record your online activities and cannot be forced to give it to other parties. To go even further, you can secure yourself from multinational partnerships like Five Eyes and governmental surveillance by using a VPN.
Using the Tor Browser is an additional option for private and anonymous web browsing. The program protects against surveillance, encrypts communications, prevents trackers, and makes it more difficult for users to be identified through fingerprinting—a profile of you based on information from your device and browser.
While VPNs have become a popular way to secure your online privacy, the Tor Browser has long been connected to accessing the ‘dark web’ and cybercrime. While the Tor Browser is free, it may be more hazardous and less secure than the finest VPN services.
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Conclusion
Many people believe using incognito mode is the most convenient way to discreetly access the internet. While incognito privacy cannot compete with solutions such as VPNs, it does have several advantages over browsing without additional protection, especially on a shared device. How do you go incognito? Every browser has an “incognito” mode, and utilizing it is simple.