InPrivate Browsing is Microsoft Edge’s version of “incognito mode.” When a user opens an InPrivate window, the browser does not save their browsing history, cookies, site data, or information entered into forms once the window is closed. While this is a useful privacy feature for individual consumers on shared computers, it can be a significant liability in an enterprise or educational environment. If your organization relies on endpoint monitoring, local DNS logging, or content filtering software that inspects browser history to enforce compliance and security policies, InPrivate mode allows users to easily bypass these local auditing mechanisms.
This guide explains how to completely disable InPrivate Browsing system-wide in Microsoft Edge using Group Policy, forcing all web traffic to be logged in the standard browsing profile.
Disable InPrivate Browsing via Group Policy
To enforce a strict block that removes the InPrivate option from the browser menu and prevents keyboard shortcuts from launching it, we must deploy an administrative template. Note that this requires Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education editions.
- Log into Windows 11 with an Administrator account.
- Press the Windows Key + R to open the Run dialogue box.
- Type
gpedit.mscand press Enter to launch the Local Group Policy Editor. - In the left-hand navigation pane, navigate precisely to this path:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge - In the right-hand pane, locate the policy named Configure InPrivate mode availability.
- Double-click the policy to open its configuration window.
- Select the radio button next to Enabled.
- In the Options pane below, click the drop-down menu and explicitly select InPrivate mode disabled.
- Click Apply, then click OK.
Verify the Configuration Lockdown
Group Policy changes require the browser to read the registry upon its next launch. Close all active instances of Microsoft Edge.
To verify the restriction is active, reopen Microsoft Edge. Click the three-dot menu (Settings and more) in the top-right corner. You will notice that the “New InPrivate window” option is completely greyed out or missing. Furthermore, attempting to use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + N will yield no response. The browser will now only operate in standard, auditable sessions. You have successfully enforced browsing transparency on the endpoint.