What is incognito mode?

Incognito mode is an online privacy feature that prevents your browsing history from being saved. When you browse the web in a normal window, the browser saves the URL of each page you visit and retains this information even when you close the window down. This means you'll have easy access to the same pages later without having to drag yourself too far.

The browser also stores cookies. Cookies are small text files that store login information on the website, collect information about the sites you visit, and create personalized websites and ads tailored to your online preferences. However, if you enable incognito mode, any cookies that the site tries to upload to your computer will be blocked or deleted, and your search history will not contain any records of your browsing. Basically, everything you do when using this setting will be forgotten.

Which browsers have incognito mode?

All major web browsers offer a feature that provides a private browsing window and clears your computer's browsing history when you close it. Depending on the browser you use, it may be called incognito mode, private browsing, or private browsing.

Google Chrome

When incognito mode is enabled in Google Chrome, the browser does not store your browsing history, cookies, site data, or any information submitted in forms. However, it retains all downloaded files and your bookmarks. To switch to incognito mode in Google Chrome, open Chrome and click the menu in the upper right corner of the window. Click New incognito window to start browsing. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl + Shift + N.

Microsoft Internet Explorer and Edge

Microsoft's InPrivate Browser window provides similar protection as Chrome, but also disables toolbars and extensions. To enable InPrivate Browsing in Microsoft Internet Explorer, click Settings - Safe Browsing - Privacy Protection. You can also start it with the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + P. To enable InPrivate Browsing on Microsoft Edge, click the menu in the upper-right corner of the window and select New InPrivate Window. Again, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + P, or you can right-click the icon on the Edge taskbar and select New InPrivate Window.

Mozilla Firefox

Mozilla's "private browsing" mode is similar to other browsers, but offers additional surveillance protection. To start private browsing in Firefox, click the three lines in the upper right corner and select New Private Window. You can also use only the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + P. To see if you're browsing privately, look for a purple mask icon in the upper right corner of the window.

Apple Safari

Safari's "Private" window deletes your browsing history, form data, cookies, and also deletes temporary files. To enable private browsing, select File, New Private Window, or switch to a Safari window that already uses private browsing.

3 Reasons To Use Incognito Mode

1. Clear cookies - cookies are usually used to create a more customized and relevant browsing session. However, by tracking cookies, websites can track you across the web, create a detailed profile of your online habits, and then use that information to send targeted ads. This is especially annoying if you're looking for a gift for a family member, and despite all your efforts to keep it in surprise, ads for this gift appear everywhere on your family computer. If you have incognito enabled, your browser will delete these cookies when you log out and your personal preferences remain private.

2. Keeps your browsing history private - If you need to use a public computer to check your email or shop online, there's a good chance your computer will save your browsing history. This means that another person who logs in could potentially see all the individual pages you've visited and even log in to those pages using your information. Incognito mode prevents this from being deleted by deleting any temporary crawl data as soon as you log out.

3. Multiple Sessions - One of the great benefits of using incognito is that it allows you to log in to multiple accounts at once. For example, you can log in to your work account from the incognito window, while you can stay in your personal account from the normal window. Similarly, if you had a friend who wanted to sign in to your social media account, he or she could do so in a separate incognito window, so you wouldn't have to sign out of your account.

Disadvantages of incognito mode

Although incognito mode can erase all data stored on your own computer, your actual IP address is still visible to everyone. This means that your ISP, your employer, the government, or any of the websites you visit may continue to monitor your browsing activities. It also provides no protection against phishing attacks, malware and viruses. You may still be able to download malware to your device while in incognito browsing. If you've been in an unfortunate situation with spyware already installed on your device, it could act as a regular monitor of all your activity and the theft of sensitive information. Incognito mode is primarily a privacy feature, so it's important to understand its limitations and look for alternatives if you really want to search safely.

How can I do that?

In conjunction with incognito mode, the best way to protect your online identity is to use a virtual private network (VPN). A VPN allows you to establish a secure connection to another network over the Internet. It hides your IP address and encrypts your communications, so your browsing habits are hidden from your ISP or other third parties.

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