Summary
Incognito mode prevents cookies or search history from being saved during that web session, but isn't as private as once thought. Services and the browser itself may track your activity on an incognito webpage. If information needs to be private, use a VPN to provide better anonymity.
What is Incognito Mode?
Incognito mode or private mode is a browser tab that promises some form of privacy. These services ensure cookies and browsing history are not saved after the window is closed. They also allow for users to sign into multiple Google accounts rather than signing in and out each time. Incognito mode also has the benefit of automatically disabling third-party cookies which can be used to track your web activity (for more details see here). Incognito mode offers a service to browse more privately but doesn’t offer full privacy.
What Incognito Mode does NOT do.
Your activity is still visible to your employer and internet provider. Downloads, bookmarks and reading list are all carried over to the incognito webpage as well. If a user bookmarked a tab in an incognito tab the bookmark also shows up on a regular tab as well. Past searches from a non-incognito search bar show up in an incognito search bar. Signing into services like Facebook still allows Facebook to track your information even in incognito mode. Google themselves have tracked user data on incognito mode and were sued. Part of that settlement was deleting billions of records they had already collected from users using the service. (BBC, 2024). Incognito mode isn’t as private as it sounds.
How to increase privacy on the internet.
It is safe to assume that when browsing the internet that your searches, and browsing is not private. Whether it be the websites you visit, your ISP, or another user with access to your device, there is always a possibility that your activity will be logged.
A VPN encrypts your data and sends it to a remote server, making the sender more anonymous (for more information read our blog). VPNs are one of the best ways to ensure data can not be traced back to the user. Some browsers implement a no tracking policy that means they don’t keep your information.
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