Incognito mode (called Private Browsing in Firefox and Safari) is a browser feature that prevents the browser from saving your browsing history, cookies, form data, and passwords to your device after the session ends. When you close the incognito window, this data is deleted.
What Incognito Mode Does and Does Not Do
| Incognito Prevents | Incognito Does NOT Prevent |
|---|---|
| Browser history saved on device | Your ISP seeing your browsing |
| Cookies persisting after session | Websites seeing your IP address |
| Form and search data saved | Employer/school network monitoring |
| Autofill data collected | Google tracking your searches |
| Other users on device seeing history | Fingerprinting (canvas, WebGL) |
Why People Use Incognito Mode
- Searching for sensitive topics without history appearing in autocomplete
- Logging into a second account on the same site
- Bypassing paywalls that count article views via cookies
- Shopping for gifts on a shared computer
- Testing website behavior without cached data interfering
Should Incognito Mode Be On or Off?
Use it situationally, not as a default privacy solution. For genuine online privacy, combine incognito mode with a VPN (to hide your IP) and a browser with fingerprint protection (like Brave).
People Also Ask
- Why would someone want to use incognito mode?
- Most commonly: to search for something privately without it appearing in local browser history, or to use a second account on a site without logging out of the main account.
- What happens if I turn on incognito mode?
- The browser opens a fresh session with no existing cookies. Nothing you browse is saved to your device after you close the window. Your IP and online activity are still fully visible to websites and your ISP.
Related: Does incognito hide your IP? | VPN for privacy | Fingerprinting