Incognito mode: what it hides, and what it does not

Incognito mode hides your browsing from other people who use the same device. It does not hide it from the websites you visit, from your employer or school, or from your internet provider. Google says so on Chrome’s own help page.

Chrome calls its private mode Incognito. Safari and Firefox call theirs Private Browsing. The idea is the same in all three: the browser forgets what you did when you close the window.

What incognito mode does

When you open a private window, the browser starts a separate session. A cookie is a small file that a website stores in your browser to remember you. Chrome and Firefox say they remove your history and cookies when the private session ends. Safari says it doesn’t save the webpages you visit, your AutoFill information, or changes to cookies and website data.

Some protections are on by default:

• Chrome doesn’t sign you in to your Google Account or other websites automatically. It also blocks third-party cookies in Incognito. A third-party cookie comes from a site other than the one you are visiting, often an advertiser.
• Safari turns on advanced tracking and fingerprinting protection in private windows. Fingerprinting is a way of identifying your device from data gathered while you browse.

Private mode is useful in a few cases. Chrome names two: a shared computer and shopping for a gift. Mozilla also says it helps if you want to limit how much data websites can collect about you.

What it does not hide

Chrome says that Incognito “doesn’t make you invisible.” Here is who can still see what you do.

• The websites you visit. Chrome says sites may still gather information about you when you are not signed in. Sites that use Google services share information about your activity on their pages with Google, including for advertising. If you sign in to a site yourself, that site knows who you are.
• Your employer or school. Chrome says the organizations that manage your network may be able to observe your activity.
• Your internet provider. This is the company that connects you to the internet. Mozilla says private browsing doesn’t stop it from logging what you do. It also doesn’t stop websites from seeing where you are physically located.
• Your downloads and bookmarks. Chrome keeps the bookmarks you save and the files you download. Safari also leaves downloaded items on your computer.
• Malware. Mozilla says private browsing doesn’t protect you from malware or viruses. Our guide on antivirus covers what to use.

The Google lawsuit: what Google agreed to

In June 2020, five people filed a class action against Google in federal court in California. They said Google improperly collected and used the private browsing data of Incognito users, as the appeals court later described the case. Google denied the claims and admitted no wrongdoing. In December 2022, the judge certified a class asking for changes, but refused a class asking for money. A trial was set for February 2024. Weeks before it, the two sides reached a deal. The plaintiffs filed it with the court on April 1, 2024.

The agreement they filed says Google would do four things:

1. Clearer disclosures. The Incognito screen must say that Incognito won’t change how websites you visit, and the services they use, collect data, including Google. Google’s Privacy Policy must say that using a private browsing mode doesn’t block data collection, including by Google.
2. Data cleanup. Google would shorten how long it keeps some logs. It would also remove detailed page addresses and make browser and device details less specific in older private browsing data, for data older than nine months in certain logs. Google estimated that each step would touch billions of records.
3. Cookie blocking. Google would keep the ability to block third-party cookies in Incognito for five years after the court’s final approval order.
4. Fewer signals. Google would remove four signals, called detection bits, that could be used to infer when Chrome was in Incognito mode. They would no longer be logged.

The settlement did not pay class members. It covered claims for changes, not money. Class members kept the right to sue for damages on their own. The five people who sued could seek damages in private arbitration. In April 2026, a federal appeals court upheld a ruling that kept a group of 185 Chrome users from joining the case late to try to win damages for the whole class.

What this means for you: Chrome’s help page, read on October 27, 2026, says the same thing. Incognito doesn’t change how the websites you visit, and the services they use, including Google, collect data.

How to use a private window

1. Open one. In Chrome, select More (the three dots) at the top right, then New Incognito window. Or press Ctrl+Shift+N on Windows, Linux or a Chromebook, or Command+Shift+N on a Mac. In Safari on a Mac, choose File, then New Private Window. Firefox and other browsers have a similar menu item.
2. Check that you are in one. Chrome shows the Incognito icon to the right of the address bar. A Safari private window has a dark Smart Search field (the address bar) with white text.
3. Close all private windows when you finish. A Chrome Incognito session ends only when you close every Incognito window. Mozilla gives the same tip for Firefox. Apple adds that leaving private windows open lets other people see the pages you visited.
4. Delete what you downloaded. Files you download in a private window stay on your device until you delete them.

Better options for real privacy

• Block trackers. Tracker blocking can run in every window, not only private ones. Our guide to the most private browser compares browsers on this.
• Review your Google activity. Google says you can turn off Web & App Activity or delete past activity at any time.
• Know what a VPN does. A VPN (virtual private network) is an app that sends your internet traffic through an encrypted tunnel to another server. The FTC says a VPN app typically hides the content of your traffic from your internet provider or a public Wi-Fi network. It does not make you anonymous. It shifts trust to the VPN company. Sites may be able to tell that you use a VPN. They can still track you through details you share, such as an email address in a form. The FTC also says some VPN apps don’t encrypt your traffic and some share your data with third parties. Research the app first. This page does not recommend one. The FTC page is from 2018.
• Use your own device and network for personal browsing. The network owner may see activity on a work or school connection.

What can go wrong

Some sites may not work as usual in a private window. Safari says private windows can make some website services work differently. Chrome says that if a site needs third-party cookies, you can allow them for that site for a while. If a site breaks, open it in a regular window.

What to do now

1. Use a private window for what it does: keeping history off a shared device, or gift shopping. Close all private windows when you finish.
2. Don’t count on it to hide activity from your employer, school or internet provider. Use your own device and network for personal browsing.
3. Turn on tracker blocking in your browser. Start with our most private browser guide.
4. Open your Google Account’s activity settings and turn off Web & App Activity, or delete past activity, if you don’t want it saved.
5. Before you pay for a VPN, read what it does and doesn’t do. The FTC suggests researching the app and its privacy policy first.