is google chrome incognito really private

The Independent published this article on Tuesday explaining that “incognito” misleads users into thinking their data is protected. Incognito Mode in Google Chrome, despite its name, isn’t really “incognito” at all. The only way fully protect yourself from being tracked or recorded online is by using a VPN and a special browser like Tor.Įven then, though, you’re not truly secure because Tor has weaknesses that have been exploited by law enforcement agencies on many occasions.Chrome’s Incognito Mode Isn’t Private…So What’s The Point? If you use private mode a lot, it might be worth checking out my article on how to start your browser in private mode by default. Lastly, you can simply right-click on the icon in the taskbar and choose New private window to get into private mode quickly. Note that if you check the Don’t show this again box under Private browsing, it will show you Speed Dial options instead. This is just another indicator that you are in private browsing mode. You’ll also notice that each tab has a little lock icon on it. You’ll see a message indicating that private browsing is enabled. In Opera, you click on the Menu bottom at the top left of the browser window.Ĭlick on New private window to open a new private browsing window.

All tabs opened in that window will be private. However, the feature now works like all the other browsers where private browsing loads in a new window. In Opera, you used to be able to browse privately in a tab or in a new window. To stop browsing in Incognito mode, close the Chrome window. There is also what looks like a detective icon in the upper-left corner of the window.

You can also select the New incognito window option by right-clicking on the taskbar button and selecting the option from the pop-up menu.Ī new Chrome window opens with a notification that you have “gone incognito.”

Is google chrome incognito really private