Do you want to browse discreetly? Whether it’s for a surprise gift or sensitive research, Safari’s Private Browsing mode, similar to “Incognito,” lets you keep your browsing private. This guide shows you how to quickly enable and disable Safari on Apple devices (your iPhone, iPad, and Mac) to prevent your search history, cookies, and autofill information from being saved in the browser. We’ll also clarify what it does and doesn’t protect on your iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, ensuring you a clear understanding of your browsing data on these Apple devices.
How Safe is Incognito (Private Browsing) in Safari?
Safari’s Private Browsing mode, often referred to as “Incognito,” protects your privacy from others using your physical device, as it prevents storing your browsing history on your device, and enhances privacy by limiting local tracking. However, it’s crucial to understand that Private Browsing does not provide complete online anonymity.
What Private Browsing Does:
- Doesn’t save your browsing history, cookies, or autofill data.
- Prevents websites from tracking your activity across different browsing sessions.
- Blocks some types of tracking, including fingerprinting.
What Private Browsing Doesn’t Do:
- Don’t hide your activity from your internet provider, potential hackers, employer (if using a work network), and websites you visit.
- Doesn’t block advertisers from tracking you in real-time.
- Doesn’t encrypt your traffic like a VPN does.
This guide clarifies the limitations of Safari’s Private Browsing, ensuring you have a realistic understanding of its privacy capabilities.
Note: For more security, consider using a VPN along with Private Browsing for added anonymity.
#Video Tutorial – For How to Go Incognito in Safari on iPhone/iPad
How To Go Incognito (Private Browsing Mode) in Safari on iPhone & iPad
Turning on Safari Private Browsing on your iOS device is a simple matter of opening a Private Browsing tab in the Safari app. Here’s how to turn on Private browsing on Safari in your iOS devices.
- Open Safari on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap the Tabs icon (two overlapping squares) in the bottom-right corner.
- Tap “Private” (or “Private Browsing” on newer iOS versions) rather than Tab.
- Tap the plus (+) icon (OR Done) to open a new Private Browsing tab in Safari.
- Alternatively, to use incognito mode on iPad/iPhone -> Open Safari -> Touch & hold the Tabs icon -> Choose New Private Tab.
- Once enabled, Safari will have a dark or black address bar, indicating Private Browsing is active.
- Ensure that enabling this private browsing won’t apply to the tabs you already have open. You only browse privately on tabs you open with this incognito browsing.
- This is similar to incognito mode on Google Chrome for your iPhone.
How to Disable/Exit Private Browsing on iPhone/iPad
If you don’t want to keep your browsing history private, then it’s simple to turn off this private browsing in Safari. This means, it will enable cookies and temporary files, yet you can always go back and delete your cache and browsing history later.
Here’s how to turn off Safari Private Browsing on iPhone and iPad:
- Follow the same steps above and select “Tabs” instead of “Private” to return to normal browsing mode. Simply tap the Tabs icon at the bottom-right corner of Safari and swipe left on a private tab. Then tap the X to close the private tab rather than switching to normal browsing mode.
- If no tabs are currently open, swipe to the Start Page at the bottom of the screen to open a new tab. For this, tap on the Tabs icon and choose 1Tab/2 Tabs to open normal browsing (not Private on Safari).
How to Enable Private Browsing Mode in Safari on Mac
To launch a Safari private window on your desktop or MacBook, all you have to do is follow these procedures:
Using Keyboard Shortcut:
- Open Safari on your Mac.
- Press Command (⌘) + Shift + N to open incognito (Private Browsing window) mode in Safari.
Using the File Menu:
- Open Safari on your Mac.
- Click File in the top menu bar.
- Select “New Private Window” from the dropdown list.
- A private browsing window will appear with a dark smart search field with white text.
- Finally, browse as you normally would.
- However, remember that opening multiple tabs within this private browsing window will work as a single private session and the Safari won’t share any data between the tabs.
How to Disable/Exit Private Browsing on Mac
If looking to go back to normal browsing on your Mac, you have to exit Safari incognito mode. Concerned about managing your browsing history, you can still clear the browsing and search history manually, when browsing with non-private tabs. Ensure to update your settings in the Safari Preference menu before following the steps above, after the default setting Private Browsing.
- Simply close the Private Window by clicking the X in the top-left corner, and open a regular Safari window (Command + N) to return to normal browsing (non-private Safari window).
How To Set Incognito as Your Default Browsing Mode in Safari?
Setting your Safari incognito as your default option will let you prevent Safari from ever storing your cookies or history locally. Especially, it is recommended to use it on a public computer or Mac regularly.
Here’s the detailed procedure on how to set Safari as the default browser:
- Open Safari on your device.
- Select the Safari menu in the top-left of the screen.
- Click Preferences or Settings (or select Command +,)
- Click the General tab, find “Safari opens with”, and click the dropdown menu. Select a new private window from the dropdown.
- If you didn’t find this option, then simply go to Apple menu -> System Settings -> Desktop & Dock -> Turn ON the “Close windows when quitting an application” option.
However, Safari might open automatically. To browse incognito in Safari when clicking a link, right-click on the link and select Open link in the new private window. Ensure that it only works if Safari is your default browser.
Why Can’t I Use Private Browsing in Safari?
If you are unable to open Private Browsing in Safari, it may be restricted by your device settings.
On iPhone/iPad: Check for Restrictions
- Go to Settings → Screen Time.
- Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions (if enabled).
- Select Content Restrictions → Web Content.
- If “Limit Adult Websites” is selected, Private Browsing might be disabled.
- Change it to Unrestricted Access to enable Private Browsing.
On iPhone/iPad: Check for Installed Profiles
Some organizations (schools, workplaces) install profiles that restrict Private Browsing.
- Go to Settings → General → VPN & Device Management.
- Check if a profile is installed that might block Private Browsing.
- If applicable, contact the administrator for removal.
Private Browsing Vs Normal Browsing on Safari:
The key difference between normal and Private Browsing in Safari lies in how your browsing data is handled. In normal browsing mode (focus on convenience), Safari stores cookies, login credentials, and your browsing history for convenience and personalization. Private Browsing, on the other hand (focus on privacy), prevents these details from being saved on your device, enhancing privacy by leaving no local trace of your activity. It also minimizes iCloud syncing of browsing data, search suggestions, and website tracking, ensuring a more private browsing session.
FAQs:
While Safari’s Private Browsing mode offers enhanced privacy, it can also impact device performance. Maintaining separate browsing sessions for normal and private tabs requires additional system resources. If you experience slowdowns, particularly on older devices, try closing unnecessary tabs, especially those in your normal Safari window. This will reduce the strain on your device’s memory and processing capabilities.
No. Private Browsing only prevents Safari from storing history and cookies on your device. Your internet provider, employer, or school can still track your activity unless you use a VPN.
Yes! You can bookmark pages while in Private Browsing, and they will remain available in your Bookmarks list even after closing the Private Browsing window.
No. Private Browsing only prevents local history and cookies from being saved. A VPN encrypts your internet traffic and hides your IP address, providing much better privacy and security.
Yes, some websites can detect if you’re using Private Browsing by checking local storage availability or other browser behaviors. However, they cannot track your past history once you close the private session.
Yes. Safari’s autofill feature (for usernames, passwords, addresses, etc.) is disabled in Private Browsing Mode to enhance privacy. However, saved passwords in the iCloud Keychain will still be accessible.
No. If you close the Safari app while in Private Mode and reopen it, Safari remains in Private Browsing until you manually switch back to normal mode.
Yes, but some Safari extensions might not work in Private Browsing Mode by default. To allow them:
* On Mac, go to Safari → Preferences → Extensions and enable the extension for Private Browsing.
* On iPhone/iPad, go to Settings → Safari → Extensions and check if the extension supports Private Browsing.
Final Thoughts
We hope our guide has let you know how to enable Private Browsing in Safari on both iOS (iPhone/iPad) and Mac devices. While Private Browsing helps protect your privacy, it’s not a full security solution. Always be mindful of your online activity and use additional privacy tools when needed. Feel free to share your queries with us in the comments section below. We’ll respond promptly to resolve them.
