What is Private Browsing Mode?
A browser feature that doesn't save browsing history, cookies, or form data after the session ends, but does NOT hide your activity from websites, ISPs, or employers.
Also known as: Incognito Mode
Private/incognito mode is widely misunderstood. It protects you from other users of the same device — not from the internet.
What It Does
- Doesn't save browsing history
- Doesn't save cookies after closing
- Doesn't save form data or passwords
- Doesn't save downloaded files to history (files themselves remain)
What It Does NOT Do
- Does NOT hide your IP address from websites
- Does NOT prevent your ISP from seeing your traffic
- Does NOT prevent your employer from monitoring your browsing
- Does NOT prevent browser fingerprinting
- Does NOT make you anonymous
Common Misconception
Google settled a $5 billion lawsuit in 2024 over tracking users in Chrome's incognito mode. The name itself misleads users into thinking they're invisible.
For Real Privacy
- Use Tor Browser for anonymity
- Use a VPN to hide traffic from your ISP
- Use Brave or Firefox for daily browsing with tracking protection
- Private mode is useful for signing into a second account or browsing on a shared computer — nothing more
Related Terms
Private Browsing
A browser mode that doesn't save history, cookies, or form data after the session ends. Despite its name, private browsing only provides local privacy—it doesn't hide your activity from websites, ISPs, or network administrators.
Tor Network
A free, open-source software and network that enables anonymous communication by directing Internet traffic through a worldwide volunteer overlay network of thousands of relays. Tor conceals users' locations and usage from surveillance and traffic analysis.
Virtual Private Network
A technology that creates a secure, encrypted connection over a less secure network, such as the public internet. VPNs mask your IP address, encrypt your internet traffic, and can make it appear as though you're browsing from a different location.
Have more questions?
Use our guided flow to get the right next privacy step for Private Browsing Mode.
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