Cybersecurity 
Penetration testing, also referred to as pen testing, is a simulation of a cyber attack that organizations conduct to identify security vulnerabilities within their systems. By
3 min read
Published on November 22, 2024
Incognito mode, also known as private browsing mode, stops your web browser from saving your browsing history on your device. By turning on incognito mode, you can browse the internet with the assurance that closing incognito mode will erase your cookies and data. Incognito mode also logs you out of your online accounts, which is useful if you’re sharing a device with others and want to maintain your privacy.
Continue reading to learn how incognito mode works, how private it is and when you should use it.
How incognito mode works: Step-by-step explanation
Once you open an incognito or private browsing window, your browser will automatically do the following:
- Disable browsing history and cookies to protect your privacy, improve your browser’s performance and prevent your data from being tracked on your device
- Deactivate browser extensions and add-ons to provide a simpler browsing experience
- Create a separate browsing session to keep the rest of your browsing separate from what you want to search more privately
- Limit the information you share, including search history
- Turn off autofill and autocomplete features, preventing your browser from saving any information you enter into online forms or websites
When using incognito mode, any content you download from websites or changes you make in your browser will not be saved once you end the browsing session. For example, if you use incognito mode to download a document to your device, the download will not remain in the downloads section of your browser once you close incognito mode, as it does not save that information. However, the PDF will still appear in your device’s download folder outside of your browser. Incognito mode does not affect the content you download but makes its download trail untraceable within your browser. Once you close incognito mode, all your browser’s settings will return to normal, and you will be unable to view your search history from the session.
How private is incognito mode?
Despite its reputation, incognito mode isn’t as private as you might think. You may believe that being in incognito mode makes you entirely anonymous online and, therefore, immune to data tracking. However, this is not the case. Many browsers allow you to toggle incognito mode on and off depending on how private you want your search history to be. However, even if your browsing history isn’t saved in your web browser, third parties like your WiFi provider can still see it.
Here are several things you can and cannot do while browsing in incognito mode:
| What Incognito Mode Does | What Incognito Mode Does Not Do |
|---|---|
| Prevents your browsing history, cookies, site data or form data from being stored on your device | Make you completely anonymous online |
| Isolates your incognito browsing session from your regular browser data | Hide your IP address from your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or the websites you visit |
| Disables most browser extensions and add-ons by default | Block your ISP from seeing your online activities |
| Keeps your device information private from websites | Defend you from website tracking and profiling based on your online behavior |
| Deactivates autofill and autocomplete features | Stop websites from collecting data about you through other means, such as browser fingerprinting |
| Ensures that any downloads, bookmarks or other changes made during the incognito session are not saved | Protect you from surveillance by government agencies or other third parties with access to internet traffic |
When should you use incognito mode?
You should use incognito mode when you share a device with multiple people, need to keep your browsing history private, want to avoid being tracked by websites or hope to avoid price discrimination. Here are several scenarios where using incognito mode would be ideal.
When you share a device
You and your spouse share a home computer. You want to check your email, but your spouse is logged in to their email account. Instead of signing out of their account, you can open a new browser window in incognito mode to sign in to your email account without disturbing their session.
When you need to keep your browsing history private
Your child’s birthday is quickly approaching, and they do not like to be surprised. To ensure your child doesn’t go through your browsing history to see what you may have ordered, you turn on incognito mode to shop for their gift.
To avoid being tracked by websites
You are writing a true crime novel and researching topics you don’t want to appear in your browsing history. By enabling incognito mode, you can prevent your search history from being stored on your device and can research your novel without sharing your device’s information with the websites you visit.
To avoid price discrimination
You want to reward yourself with a tropical vacation, but you didn’t realize that buying a luxury wallet and a new car could somehow increase the price of your plane ticket. Incognito mode prevents your browser from tracking your browsing history, meaning it cannot detect what you have purchased in the past. Buying plane tickets in incognito mode can eliminate price discrimination, allowing you to see standard airfare prices.
Don’t let incognito mode misconceptions put you at risk
Even though incognito mode provides more privacy compared to a typical browsing experience, you can still be impacted by cyber threats. That’s why it’s important to continue practicing cybersecurity best practices, such as using strong passwords, enabling Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) on your online accounts and avoiding password reuse. By protecting your online accounts from cyber threats and using incognito mode, you can have a more private browsing experience and maintain the integrity of your browsing history.
