9 Ways To Activate Incognito Mode - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Turn On Incognito Mode & Start Private Browsing PDF download Download Article Keep your browsing history hidden on desktop or mobile Written by Hunter Rising

Last Updated: June 8, 2025 Fact Checked

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  • Chrome (Desktop)
    • |
  • Chrome (Mobile)
    • |
  • Safari (Mac)
    • |
  • Safari (iOS)
    • |
  • Firefox (Desktop)
    • |
  • Firefox (Mobile)
    • |
  • Edge
    • |
  • What is incognito mode?
    • |
  • If You Forget Incognito Mode
    • |
  • Video
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  • Q&A
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  • Tips
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  • Warnings
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This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Hunter Rising. Hunter Rising is a wikiHow Staff Writer based in Los Angeles. He has more than three years of experience writing for and working with wikiHow. Hunter holds a BFA in Entertainment Design from the University of Wisconsin - Stout and a Minor in English Writing. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,995,578 times. Learn more...

If you want to browse online but don’t want other people to see the sites you’ve been visiting, an incognito window helps keep your history a secret. All the popular browsers have a private browsing or incognito feature, and they’re so easy to turn on. Keep reading, and we’ll walk you through how to open incognito tabs on any device using browsers like Google Chrome, Safari, and Firefox.

How to Turn Incognito Mode On

  • Chrome: Tap on the 3 dots and select New Incognito Tab
  • Safari: Click File → New Private Window or tap Tabs → Private → + on mobile
  • Firefox: Click ☰ and select New Private Window, or select Tabs and swipe over to Private on mobile
  • Edge: Click on the 3 dots icon 'and select New InPrivate window

Steps

Section 1 of 9:

How to Turn on Incognito Mode on Google Chrome (Desktop)

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  1. Step 1 Click ⋮ and select New incognito window. 1 Click ⋮ and select New incognito window. You can find this in the top-right corner of the Chrome window. Look near the top of the dropdown menu for the incognito window option.[1]
    • A new window will open up with the incognito icon (a hat and glasses) to the right of the address bar.
    • If you don't see this option, incognito browsing may be restricted in your Chrome browser.
    • When you want to turn off incognito mode, close the window completely to remove the history.
  2. Step 2 Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+⇧ Shift+N or ⌘ Command+⇧ Shift+N. 2 Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+⇧ Shift+N or ⌘ Command+⇧ Shift+N. If you want to quickly open incognito tabs without your mouse, use the Ctrl button on Windows or the Command key on Mac. A new incognito window will pop up and turn off your browsing history.
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Section 2 of 9:

How to Open an Incognito Tab on Google Chrome (Mobile)

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  1. Step 1 Tap the 3 dots icon in a Chrome window. 1 Tap the 3 dots icon in a Chrome window. Open the Chrome app on your device. Where you access the settings depends on what type of mobile device you’re using.
    • Android: Look for the ⋮ icon in the top-right corner of the screen.[2]
    • iPhone and iPad: Look for the ••• icon in the bottom-right corner.[3]
  2. Step 2 Select New Incognito Tab from the menu. 2 Select New Incognito Tab from the menu. A new incognito tab will immediately open up in Google Chrome. When you close the window, any history of pages you viewed or files you downloaded will be deleted from Chrome.
    • You can switch back and forth between the regular Chrome and an incognito window by tapping the numbered square at the top (Android) or bottom (iOS) of the screen and swiping left or right.
    • To exit incognito mode, tap the numbered box at the top (Android) or at the bottom-right (iOS). Tap the X on individual tabs you want to close, or click edit for the option to close them all. Then, swipe to the right to return to your regular tabs.
    • Open incognito tabs are visible to anyone who opens Chrome on your device unless you lock them. To lock your tabs:
      • Tap the 3 dots at the top or bottom of a Chrome window.
      • Select the Settings gear icon from the list.
      • Open Privacy and security.
      • Turn on Lock Incognito tabs when you leave Chrome.
      • When you close and reopen Chrome, enter your password or use facial recognition to access your incognito tabs.
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Section 3 of 9:

How to Turn on Private Browsing on Safari (Mac)

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  1. Step 1 Click File. 1 Click File. It's in the top-left corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear.[4]
  2. Step 2 Click New Private Window. 2 Click New Private Window. A new window will appear on the screen with a black address bar and a notification saying “Private Browsing Enabled”. Any sites you visited, searches you filled out, or AutoFill information will be erased as soon as you close the window.
    • Alternatively, you can also use the keyboard shortcut Command + Shift + N to open a new private window.
    • If you want to make sure your activity stays private, you can always check your Safari history.
    • Click the red circle in the top-left corner, or click on File → Quit to close the private window.
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Section 4 of 9:

Private Browsing on Safari (iPhone)

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  1. Step 1 Tap the "Tabs" icon. 1 Tap the "Tabs" icon. Look for the icon that looks like two overlapping squares in the bottom-right corner.[5]
  2. Step 2 Tap Private. 2 Tap Private. Look near the bottom of your screen. Select the Private option, and a hand icon will appear in the middle of the window to confirm you’re on Private Browsing.
    • Alternatively, tap the list icon at the bottom-center of your screen and select “Private” from the tab groups menu.
  3. Step 3 Tap + to open a private window. 3 Tap + to open a private window. A new Private Browsing window will open with a black address bar at the bottom of the screen. It will also say “Private Browsing” in large letters at the top of the screen when you first open the window.
    • To exit Private Browsing mode, click the "Tabs" icon in the bottom-right corner. Tap X or swipe left on any incognito tabs you want to remove. Tap Tabs to go back to regular browsing.
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Section 5 of 9:

Private Windows on Firefox (Desktop)

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  1. Step 1 Click ☰. 1 Click ☰. You should see this in the top right corner of the Firefox window. A drop-down menu will appear.
  2. Step 2 Click New Private Window. 2 Click New Private Window. Doing so will launch a new private browsing window with a purple background and mask icon. You can browse and download files without Firefox keeping any record of your history.[6]
    • You can also use the keyboard shortcut CTRL + Shift + P (Windows) or Command + Shift + P (Mac) to open a new incognito window.
    • To stop private browsing, just close out of the window or File → Quit out of Firefox.
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Section 6 of 9:

Private Tabs on Firefox (Mobile)

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  1. Step 1 Tap the "Tabs" icon. 1 Tap the "Tabs" icon. This is the numbered square at the top (Android) or bottom (iOS) of the screen. Once you tap it, a list of your open tabs appears.
    • On Android, the mask-shaped incognito mode icon also appears on the home screen directly underneath the address bar. Tap on it to access private browsing immediately.[7]
  2. Step 2 Tap the "Incognito mode" icon. 2 Tap the "Incognito mode" icon. Look for the mask icon at the top of your screen, between the Open Tabs and Synced Tabs sections. Selecting it shows any Private tabs you already have open.
  3. Step 3 Tap +. 3 Tap +. A new tab will open in Private Browsing mode. Your search history will not be saved while you use this mode.[8]
    • To exit incognito mode, tap the numbered box at the top (Android) or at the bottom right (iOS). Tap the X on the incognito tabs you want to close. Then, tap the numbered box beside the incognito icon on the top to switch to regular browsing.
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Section 7 of 9:

InPrivate Tabs on Microsoft Edge

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  1. Step 1 Click ⋯. 1 Click ⋯. It's in the top-right corner of the window. A drop-down menu will appear.
  2. Step 2 Click New InPrivate Window. 2 Click New InPrivate Window. You'll see this option near the top of the drop-down menu. Clicking this option will bring up a new browsing window in which you can view pages or download files without Edge saving your history.[9]
    • Closing the InPrivate window takes you back to your regular browsing window.
    • Alternatively, there are a few other ways to open inPrivate windows:
      • Push CTRL + Shift + N on your keyboard.
      • Right-click on the Microsoft Edge logo in your taskbar and select New InPrivate window.
      • Right-click on a link and select Open link in InPrivate window.
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Section 8 of 9:

What does incognito mode do?

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  1. 1 Incognito mode doesn’t save history, site data, or info. Whenever you go incognito or into a private browser, none of your history is stored on your device. That means the browser isn’t tracking the sites you visited, searches, cookies, AutoFill info, or download history.[10]
  2. 2 Work, school, and your Internet provider may still track activity. Even if you go into a private browsing window, anyone who controls your internet access may still view the pages you visited. If you’re on a school or work computer, the organization can still track your browsing history.[11]
    • Websites can still gather information when you’re using a private browser. If you want a truly secure connection, then use a VPN.
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Section 9 of 9:

What to Do if You Forget to Turn on Incognito Mode

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  1. Delete your history and data manually. If you accidentally used a regular window or tab when you meant to use private browsing, you can still get rid of the history from your device. Here are some helpful next steps to remove the saved data:
    • Delete your browsing history
    • Clear your cache and cookies
    • Remove searches from your search bar

Community Q&A

Search Add New Question
  • Question Why are the incognito options not appearing on my profile switch or my options bar? Community Answer Community Answer If it is on your workplace desktop or laptop, chances are your organization's version of Chrome has removed this feature. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 26 Helpful 71
  • Question Are there any browsers that restrict incognito mode? Community Answer Community Answer Yes, sometimes Chrome's incognito mode can be disabled if your device is managed by an administrator. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 20 Helpful 45
  • Question Can I use incognito mode on Windows 7? Community Answer Community Answer Yes. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 24 Helpful 29
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Video

Tips

  • Incognito windows have no login information stored, so you’ll have to enter your username and password if you’re trying to log into a site. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

Warnings

  • Browsing in incognito mode will not prevent your employer, Internet service provider, or any spyware that may be installed on your computer from seeing your search history. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
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References

  1. ↑ https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95464?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform=Desktop
  2. ↑ https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95464?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform=Android
  3. ↑ https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95464?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform=iOS
  4. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-vn/guide/safari/ibrw1069/mac
  5. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-euro/guide/iphone/iphb01fc3c85/ios
  6. ↑ https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/private-browsing-use-firefox-without-history
  7. ↑ https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/private-browsing-firefox-android
  8. ↑ https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/private-browsing-firefox-ios
  9. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/browse-inprivate-in-microsoft-edge-cd2c9a48-0bc4-b98e-5e46-ac40c84e27e2
More References (2)
  1. ↑ https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/9845881?hl=en#zippy=,how-incognito-mode-works
  2. ↑ https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/common-myths-about-private-browsing

About This Article

Hunter Rising Written by: Hunter Rising wikiHow Staff Writer This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Hunter Rising. Hunter Rising is a wikiHow Staff Writer based in Los Angeles. He has more than three years of experience writing for and working with wikiHow. Hunter holds a BFA in Entertainment Design from the University of Wisconsin - Stout and a Minor in English Writing. This article has been viewed 1,995,578 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 27 Updated: June 8, 2025 Views: 1,995,578 Categories: Internet Article SummaryX

To activate incognito mode on Chrome for your desktop, start by opening Chrome and clicking the 3 vertical periods in the top right corner of the screen. From here, click “New incognito window” to prompt a new Chrome window to open in incognito mode. Once you close your incognito tab, any downloads or pages viewed will be erased from your history. If you prefer, use the keyboard shortcut to enable incognito viewing by pressing “control,” “shift,” and “N” in Windows or “Command,” “Shift,” and “N” on a Mac. To enable incognito mode on your mobile device, keep reading! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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