When you open an Incognito window in Google Chrome, you might notice that your ad blocker, your password manager, and your grammar checker all suddenly disappear from the top-right corner of your screen.
This is not a bug; it is a deliberate security feature. Incognito mode is designed to prevent Chrome from saving your browsing history or cookies. Because third-party extensions have the ability to read and record everything you type or view on a webpage, Google automatically disables all of them in Incognito mode to ensure your privacy remains completely intact.
However, if you absolutely need your password manager or your ad blocker to function while browsing privately, you can manually override this block.
How to Allow Specific Extensions in Incognito Mode
You cannot enable all extensions with a single click. Google requires you to manually approve each extension individually, acknowledging the privacy risks.
- Open a standard, normal Google Chrome window (not an Incognito window).
- Look in the top-right corner of the browser and click the Puzzle Piece icon. (If you do not see the puzzle piece, click the three vertical dots, go to Extensions, and select Manage Extensions).
- At the bottom of the puzzle piece drop-down menu, click Manage extensions.
- You will now see a grid showing every extension installed on your browser. Find the specific extension you want to use (for example, uBlock Origin or 1Password).
- Click the Details button inside that extension’s box.
- Scroll down the details page until you find a toggle switch labeled Allow in Incognito.
- Click the toggle so it turns blue.
Chrome will show a brief warning reminding you that it cannot prevent this extension from recording your browsing history.
Once enabled, you can open a new Incognito window (Ctrl+Shift+N or Cmd+Shift+N) and you will see the extension’s icon perfectly active in the top-right corner, working exactly as it does in normal browsing mode.
A Warning About Privacy
You should be extremely selective about which extensions you allow in Incognito mode.
Password managers and reputable ad blockers are generally safe, as they run locally on your machine. However, if you allow a random coupon-finding extension, a screen recorder, or a shady VPN extension to run in Incognito, they can (and often do) transmit every single website you visit back to their own servers, completely destroying the purpose of using a private window in the first place.
If you are ever in doubt, leave the “Allow in Incognito” toggle turned off.