What Is Incognito Mode and How to Open It?

To maintain your online privacy and prevent anyone borrowing your phone from seeing your search history, enabling incognito mode will be very helpful.

We’ll explain in detail what incognito mode is, how to open it on major browsers, and offer a pro tip for better privacy protection. Keep reading!

What Is Incognito Mode?

Incognito Mode is a feature offered by most browsers, sometimes also called Private Browsing, designed to protect the user’s local browsing privacy.

When you turn on incognito mode, the browser will not record your search history, personal info entered, and access logs. In other words, when you close the incognito window, your previous online footprint will all but disappear, and any account you logged into will be automatically signed out — each session is like visiting for the first time.

If you want to know more, here’s what data is eliminated or not recorded by incognito mode:

It’s worth noting, though, that incognito mode doesn’t actually mean 100% anonymity. It’s primarily useful for maintaining some privacy on a shared PC or mobile to prevent others from viewing your browsing history.

For example, if you’re sharing a computer with your family and want to surprise them with a gift, it’s useful to open incognito mode when browsing shopping sites. This way, info about the products you’ve viewed won’t appear in your browsing history, ensuring your surprise remains undiscovered and intact.

How to Open Incognito Mode?

Opening incognito mode on different browsers is slightly different, but they are all very simple. We have prepared detailed guides to turn on private browsing mode on Chrome, Safari, Opera and Firefox, which you can review based on your needs.

Open Incognito Mode on Chrome

For Desktop

Step 1. Open a Chrome window.

Step 2. Click the three-dot icon on the top right corner of the screen.

Step 3. Hit New Incognito Windows to go to the incognito mode on Chrome.

For Mobile

Step 1. Run Chrome on your mobile.

Step 2. Click the three-dot icon on the bottom right corner of the screen.

Step 3. Tap New Incognito Tab to open incognito mode on Chrome.

Open Incognito Mode on Safari

As the default browser for iPhone and MacBook, Safari also offers incognito mode, although in Safari, it’s referred to as Private Browsing Mode.

For Macbook

Step 1. Open a Safari window on your Macbook.

Step 2. Click the File on the top left corner of the screen.

Step 3. Choose Private Window to turn on Private Browsing Mode on Safari.

For iPhone

Step 1. Run Safari on your iPhone.

Step 2. Click on the tab icon consisting of two overlapping squares in the lower right corner.

Step 3. Navigate to Start Page> Private to open Incognito Mode on iPhone.

Open Incognito Mode on Opera

For Desktop

Step 1. Open an Opera window on your PC.

Step 2. Head to the Opera icon in the top left of the screen.

Step 3. Choose New Private Window to turn on Private Mode on Opera.

For Mobile

Step 1. Run the Opera app on your device.

Step 2. Tap the menu button in the bottom right corner.

Step 3. Turn on the Private mode and then you can open an incognito tab.

Related Reading

How to Turn Off Private Browsing on iPhone?

Follow our step-by-step guides to easily disable incognito mode on your device.

Open Incognito Mode on Firefox

For Desktop

Step 1. Open Firefox on your PC or laptop.

Step 2. Head to the three-line icon in the top right of the window.

Step 3. Choose New Private Window to open incognito mode on Firefox.

For Mobile

Step 1. Run the Firefox app on your device.

Step 2. Head to the tab icon> Private Browsing icon.

Step 3. Now hit the Plus icon to open a new incognito window.

Is Incognito Mode Safe?

Yes, incognito mode is safe, but relying on it for complete privacy protection is not possible.

When incognito mode is enabled, the browser doesn’t save your info about your current usage, which does work well for protecting local privacy. However, this doesn’t change the way you connect to the Internet – your web activity still flows through your ISP.

It means:

So while incognito mode is effective in preventing local data storage, it acts more like a tool for “cleaning” your local device rather than a “cloak” that makes you invisible. 

For deeper privacy protection, you’ll need to use additional tools like a VPN to encrypt network traffic and hide your IP address.

The Pros and Cons of Incognito Mode

Now, let’s summarize the pros and cons of incognito mode.

Use a VPN for Better Online Privacy

If you want a better, cleaner, and safer browsing experience, we recommend you use a reliable VPN service such as X-VPN. It not only addresses the limitations of incognito mode but also supplements and expands on it, offering users a more comprehensive privacy protection solution.

What Can X-VPN Do?

📝Basic Info

Global Servers	8000+ servers in 225+ locations
Compatibility	Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Chromebook, Linux, Chrome, etc
Security	Top VPN Encryption with No-log Policy.
Speed	Ultra-Fast and Stable
Connections	5 Simultaneous Connections
Free Version	Provide. No login, 500MB/day.
Price	Start at Only $2.99/mo

All in all, while incognito mode helps maintain local browsing secrecy, X-VPN elevates your privacy to a more comprehensive level, safeguarding your data and identity from threats across the internet – a powerful solution for achieving true online anonymity and security.

Now click the below button to instantly experience the X-VPN free version, or simply unlock the full power of X-VPN for the lowest price of $2.99/mo – feel free to get a refund within 30 days!

Conclusion

Now, we are sure you have fully understood the functions and limitations of incognito mode. If your goal is just to prevent others from viewing your browsing history, turning it on will be a simple and effective way. However, if you need to achieve true online anonymity to ensure that your data and real identity will not be revealed, then choosing X-VPN will be the best helper.

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