• Blog
  • How to Turn Off Private Browsing on iPhone - Safari/Chrome/Edge/Firefox?

How to Turn Off Private Browsing on iPhone - Safari/Chrome/Edge/Firefox?

May 22, 2024   |   5 mins
How to Turn Off Private Browsing on iPhone - Safari/Chrome/Edge/Firefox?

iPhone supports users with Private Browsing, but if you don't need it, you can easily turn off incognito mode with a few clicks.

In this blog, we will guide you on how to turn off Private Browsing on iPhone with Safari. In addition, since Apple recently liberalized the default browser, we will bring detailed tutorials for users who ditch Safari in favor of Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Firefox.

get xvpn

Table of contents

How to Turn Off Private Browsing in Safari on iPhone

To turn off Private Browsing in Safari on your iPhone, follow the below steps.

Step 1. Open the Safari app.

Step 2. Hit the Tabs icon located in the bottom right corner.

hit safari tabs icon

Step 3. Private indicates active Private Browsing mode at the screen's bottom.

private browsing mode on safari

Step 4. Hit the Private tab, and swipe to one regular tab.

turn off private browsing mode on safari

Images from Apple Support

How to Turn Off Incognito Mode in Chrome on iPhone

To turn off Private Browsing in Chrome on your iPhone, follow the below steps.

Step 1. Launch Chrome Chrome on your iPhone.

Step 2. Hit the Tabs icon on the bottom screen.

hit the chrome tabs icon

Step 3. Press the regular tab or just swipe to the left.

turn off the private browsing mode on chrome

How to Disable InPrivate Browsing in Edge on iPhone

Here's how to disable InPrivate Browsing in Edge on your iPhone.

Step 1. Launch the Microsoft Edge app on an iPhone.

Step 2. Click the Tabs icon.

Step 3. Press the Tabs section to get out of InPrivate mode.

turn off the private browsing mode on edge
Image from Microsoft Community

How to Disable Private Browsing in Firefox on iPhone

Here's how to disable Private Browsing in Firefox on an iPhone.

Step 1. Launch the Firefox app on your iPhone.

Step 2. Hit the Tabs option on the bottom screen.

hit the tabs icon on firefox

Step 3. Press the mask icon on the top screen to switch to regular mode.

turn off the private browsing mode on firefox

Images from Support Mozilla

Why People Need to Turn Off Private Browsing

While Private Browsing can prevent third parties from tracking a user's data somewhat, there are many drawbacks.

・Performance Impact

Private Browsing can sometimes slow down browser performance and make pages difficult to load.

・Data Cleaning

Private Browsing does not retain any of your data, requiring you to enter info manually for login or other actions on each site visit.

・No History

Private Browsing doesn't save history, making it difficult to revisit unbookmarked sites.

・No Data Synchronization

Using Incognito Browsing prevents cross-device data sync, potentially hindering work or study efficiency due to inconsistent data access.

・No Personal Preferences

Websites cannot use browsing history to personalize content, ads, and recommendations, which can be seen as a benefit for privacy but a con for user experience.

・No Printing or Downloading

Printing or downloading files from websites might be restricted because of Private Browsing mode due to security limitations.

・No Support for New Features

Private Browsing may not support new features of the browser, like Picture in Picture mode or some blockers.

Of course, while privacy browsing does have some limitations, you can always adjust the browsing mode according to your actual needs based on the methods we provide, to flexibly circumvent the shortcomings of both modes.

Is Private Browsing on iPhone Really Safe?

No, Private Browsing on an iPhone is not really safe actually, it doesn't make you completely anonymous online. Here's a breakdown of reasons why it isn’t safe:

・Trackers and Malware Can Still Be Present: Websites can embed tracking scripts and malware to monitor your activity, even in Private Browsing mode.

・Incognito Mode Doesn't Hide Your Physical Location: Private Browsing doesn't hide your physical location from websites. The ISP and websites can still use your IP address to get your current position.

・Public Wi-Fi Networks Pose Security Risks: Public Wi-Fi networks, even in Private Browsing mode, can be risky. Unsecured networks can be intercepted by hackers who might steal your information.

What to Do If You Want to Completely Hide Online Activity?

If you want to add extra protection and hide surfing activity completely, using a VPN might be the simplest answer.

Regardless of using Regular or Private Browsing modes, X-VPN offers robust surfing protection. It safeguards your online activity by encrypting data and routing it through servers globally, ensuring your digital footprint and real IP address are concealed.

If you want to keep privacy without Private Browsing, just click the button below to get more online security and peace of mind.learn more about xvpn

Conclusion

Private Browsing is a helpful way to keep your browsing activity private, but it still has some limitations. You can switch to the regular tab to turn off Private Browsing on iPhone easily and use X-VPN to ensure comprehensive security.

You can also read these blogs to get more tips:

Best 5 Web Browsers for iPhone and Android 2024

5 Best VPN Free Trials in 2024

Is Venmo Safe? 2024 Newest Review!

FAQs

Can I permanently disable private browsing on my iPhone?

No, iPhone browsers don't offer a permanent option to disable private browsing. You can simply avoid selecting the private browsing mode when launching a new browsing session.

What happens to my downloads in private browsing mode?

The browser won't save downloads initiated in private browsing mode. If necessary, you'll need to locate and save them manually.

How to turn off private browsing on iPad?

You can turn off private browsing on iPad with simple 3 steps. Step 1. Open the browser you are using on iPad. Step 2. Find and hit the Tabs button on the bottom screen. Step 3. Change the Private tab to a Regular tab.