PSA: Incognito Mode Doesn’t Totally Hide Your Online Activity

Opening an incognito window feels like stepping into a private room on the internet. Your browser turns dark and mysterious, and suddenly, it’s like nobody can see what you’re doing online.

That’s only partly true.

When you close a private browser window, like Chrome’s Incognito mode, your web browser doesn’t keep a record of the websites you visited. It also removes cookies and site data created during that private browsing session. That makes private browsing useful when you’re using someone else’s computer or looking up something you would rather not have sitting in your search history. 

But private browsing isn’t an invisibility cloak. The websites you visit may still be able to see some of your activity. So can your internet service provider or an organization managing your network, like your employer or school.

In short, “private browsing” sounds more comprehensive than it really is. Here’s what private browsing actually hides, who may still be able to see your activity, when opening a private window is genuinely useful and how to use private browsing across your favorite web browsers.

What does Incognito mode actually hide?

Incognito mode prevents your browser from keeping a local record of your browsing session after you close every private window.

That means the websites you visit won’t appear in your browser history. Cookies and other site data created during the session are also removed, which means websites shouldn’t remember that you were logged in or retain other information from your visit the next time you open a regular browser window. Information you enter into forms, like a search query or an address, won’t be saved for autocomplete either.

The exact details vary slightly by browser. Google Chrome calls the feature Incognito mode. Safari and Firefox call it Private Browsing, while Microsoft Edge calls it InPrivate browsing. All four are primarily designed to limit the information stored locally on your device.

There are a few important exceptions. Any files you download will remain on your computer after you close the private window, so other people will be able to find them, even if they no longer show up in your browser’s download history. Bookmarks or favorites you save will also stay.

Also, make sure you close every private window when you are finished. Your browser may continue to retain information from the session until all windows are closed.

Can someone see your Incognito browser history?

The answer depends on who is looking.

Someone else using your computer

If you close every private window, another person who uses your computer afterward shouldn’t be able to open your browser history and see the websites you visited. They may still be able to find files you downloaded or bookmarks you saved. And if you leave a private window open, they may also be able to access the tabs themselves or use the back button to see where you’ve been.

The websites you visit

Websites can still see that you visited them. Private browsing doesn’t stop a website from collecting information about your activity while you’re there. Also, signing into accounts makes that activity especially obvious. If you log in to your Amazon, Instagram or Google account inside a private window, that service still knows how you’re using it.

Some browsers do add protections that can limit certain types of tracking. Chrome blocks third-party cookies by default in Incognito mode, for example. Safari and Firefox also include tracking protections in their private browsing modes. Those protections can reduce some data collection, but they don’t make your activity invisible.

Your internet provider

Your internet provider may still be able to see information about the websites you visit. Private browsing only changes what your browser stores on your device. When a website uses the HTTPS connection protocol, your provider generally cannot read the contents of the page or see what you do on it. But private browsing doesn’t add that encryption or conceal your activity from your provider.

Your employer or school

A workplace or school may also be able to observe your browsing activity if you are using its network or a device it manages. Opening an Incognito window does not bypass network monitoring tools, and it won’t protect you from monitoring software installed on a computer or phone.

Google and other companies whose services appear on websites

Opening an Incognito window also does not necessarily prevent information from reaching companies whose tools are embedded in the websites you visit. Google says websites that use its services may share information about your activity with the company, including for advertising purposes, even when you’re browsing in Incognito mode.

This was actually the subject of a lawsuit filed against Google in 2020. The lawsuit alleged that Google continued collecting information from people who used private browsing modes through analytics tools, cookies and apps. In 2024, Google agreed to destroy billions of data records, update its disclosures and make changes intended to limit some data collection.

Does Incognito mode hide your IP address?

No, Incognito mode does not hide your IP address, which can be used to estimate your general location and identify the internet connection you are using.

A virtual private network can mask your original IP address by routing your internet traffic through a VPN server. Websites will generally see the VPN server’s IP address instead of your own. A VPN can also hide your outgoing traffic from your internet provider and the owner of a local network, such as a hotel or coffee shop.

However, it doesn’t make you anonymous. Websites may still be able to identify you through your account, cookies, tracking tools or information you voluntarily provide.

When should you use Incognito mode?

Private browsing is useful when your goal is to leave less information behind on a device. You may want to open a private window when you are:

• Using a shared or public computer.
  
• Shopping for a surprise gift.
• Looking up something you don’t want stored in your browser history.
• Signing in to a second account without logging out of the first one.
• Trying to keep one-off searches from cluttering your browsing history.

Private browsing is less useful when your goal is to conceal your online activity from a website, your internet provider or an organization managing your network. It is a local privacy tool, not a tool to mask everything you’re doing online.

How to open an Incognito or private browsing window

The name changes depending on your browser, but the feature works similarly across each one.

Google Chrome

Click the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner and select New Incognito window. You can also use Ctrl + Shift + N on Windows or Command + Shift + N on a Mac.

Safari

On a Mac, click File in the menu bar and select New Private Window. You can also use Command + Shift + N.

Mozilla Firefox

Click the three-line menu in the upper-right corner and select New private window. You can also use Ctrl + Shift + P on Windows or Command + Shift + P on a Mac.

Microsoft Edge

Click the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner and select New InPrivate window. You can also use Ctrl + Shift + N on Windows or Command + Shift + N on a Mac.