Whenever you browse the internet, Google Chrome acts like a meticulous secretary. It records every website you visit in your History, it saves cookies so you stay logged into your accounts, and it caches images to make sites load faster next time.
However, there are times when you do not want this secretary taking notes. If you are shopping for a surprise birthday gift on a shared family computer, or logging into your bank account on a public library PC, you need privacy. This is exactly what Incognito Mode was built for.
How to Open an Incognito Window
Opening a private browsing session takes only two clicks.
- Open your Google Chrome browser.
- Click the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner of the window.
- Select New Incognito window from the drop-down menu.
A brand new browser window will instantly appear. You will know it is an Incognito window because the overall color scheme will switch to a dark gray/black theme, and you will see an icon of a spy wearing a hat and glasses in the center of the screen.
The Keyboard Shortcut: For even faster access, you can press Ctrl + Shift + N (on Windows) or Command + Shift + N (on Mac) while Chrome is open to instantly launch a new private window.
What Incognito Mode Actually Does
It is incredibly important to understand the limits of Incognito Mode. It provides local privacy, not total anonymity.
When you close an Incognito window, Chrome instantly deletes:
- Your browsing history for that session.
- Any cookies or site data collected during that session (meaning you are instantly logged out of everything).
- Information you typed into forms or search bars.
Because the cookies are fresh when you open the window, websites will not recognize you. This makes Incognito Mode great for checking how a website looks to the general public, or reading news articles on sites that limit how many free articles you can view per month.
What Incognito Mode Does NOT Do
Incognito Mode does not make you invisible on the internet. It does not hide your IP address, and it does not encrypt your traffic like a VPN (Virtual Private Network) does.
Even in Incognito Mode, your activity is still completely visible to:
- The websites you visit (they know your IP address and location).
- Your employer or school (if you are on their Wi-Fi network).
- Your Internet Service Provider (ISP).
To safely exit Incognito Mode, simply click the ‘X’ in the top corner to close the window. The moment the window closes, all trace of that session is wiped from your hard drive.