

Shrouded in misconceptions, private browsing might not be what you think it is. The difference between these modes on most browsers is minute, including their names: With Chrome’s Incognito mode, the websites you visit can still view your IP address, and the same is true for most browsers. Private browsing modes do give you a small layer of extra protection, but they don’t make your information 100% private. If you don’t want to be tracked at all a better choice for you would be a private search engine. The local network administrator and even your ISP can still follow the internet traffic. ‘Cause any data that travels over a local network and leaves your computer can still be tracked.

This mode is mainly used to stop any browsing history from storing on your device. Every time you exit an Incognito session, it deletes any cookies that may have been acquired during a private browsing session. Incognito mode prevents you from being tracked with previously-stored cookies and stops any new cookies that try to load on your browsing session. But it comes at the cost of your privacy. By storing it, browsers allow you to find and revisit any content you previously came across.

Why does Incognito mode exist?Īs you may know, Google Chrome (and most web browsers out there) keep a record of your search history. However, Incognito mode is not all it’s cracked up to be. Many people believe this to be much more secure than regular browsing. As it gives you a fresh instance on the browser it was launched on, any previous data or information that had been stored, known as cookies, is not applied. So why use it then? Because Incognito mode is still a private browsing tool that opens a new session for you on Chrome. However, your ISP (Internet Service Provider), advertisers, and even the websites you visit will still see what you searched for. This means that someone else using your device will not see what you searched for.

It’s simple: Incognito mode hides your browsing activity on your local network. What is Incognito mode and what does it hide?
