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How to enable private browsing on any web browser

Private browsing has been around for quite a while (since 2005, actually), and it’s a concept that’s almost on every browser. It can be helpful when you wish to surf the internet without leaving a trail of passwords, cookies and other pieces of information. It could also help in “covering tracks” on the internet. You can enable private browsing on just about any browser, you just need the proper guide to the direction where that can be enabled.

Related:

Private Browsing on Windows and Mac

To enable private browsing on Windows, you click on the special menu located at the top-right corner of the browser window; it is represented with three “Hamburger” lines. When there, choose “New Incognito Window”, and private browsing is activated.
You could use keyboard shortcuts to activate private browsing also, just press Ctrl+Shift+N.

To enable private browsing on Mac, you would need to do the same thing; but you’ll find the special menu within the three dots. Choose “New Incognito Window” to have private browsing activated. Alternatively, you could access the option from the File menu.
enable private browsing
You can easily use the keyboard shortcut Cmd+Shift+N on the Mac to activate private browsing. Note, however, that these steps are based on Google Chrome web browser on Windows and Mac.

Private Browsing on iPhone and Android

Activating private browsing on iOS and Android is super easy, provided you’re using Google Chrome. For Android, tap on the three dots located in the upper right corner of the browser window, and select the “New Incognito Tab” from the dropdown menu.

The browser would then tell you that you’ve gone incognito, and explain the requisite warnings related to going incognito. To exit the incognito mode, just close the tabs you’ve opened, you would be back to your normal browsing environment.

Private Browsing in Mozilla Firefox

Private browsing on Mozilla Firefox is quite similar to that of Google Chrome. Private Browsing can be accessed from the menu in the upper right corner. All you have to do is click on “New Private Window”, you can use the Ctrl+Shift+N and Cmd+Shift+N keyboard shortcuts on Windows and Mac respectively.
private browsing on ios and android

Private Browsing on Microsoft Edge

On Microsoft Edge, private browsing is called InPrivate Browsing, and to enable it, just open the dropdown menu on the upper-right corner or use the keyboard shortcut “Ctrl+Shift+P” Once activated, the entire browser becomes grey, and each tab will be titled “InPrivate”.

Private browsing on safari

Those with safari can also enable private browsing on their browser without any problem. The option to enable private browsing on safari is simple. On MAC, Hold down Command+Shift+N. This will open a new tap with private browsing enabled. Alternatively, you can just go to File > New Private Window. Then use the search bar the way you normally do and any web you open won’t record your search history or your autofill.

On the iOS Safari browser, you can enable private browsing by going to the squares in Safari’s menu. There you should tap private and then the search bar to search for any site you want to visit.

Conclusion:

Enabling private browsing is every browser across all major Operating Systems. However, It is important to note that private browsing isn’t all that secure. Sure it would prevent information to be locally stored on your system, but it doesn’t prevent the websites you visit from collecting any information from your computer; that applies to your internet service provider and even your employer!

However, private browsing is quite useful for when you wish to do stuff like logging into the same site with different accounts. You can also use private browsing to do technical things like troubleshooting problems with extensions: since private browsing disables all extensions and toolbars, you can check if the problem is replicated, and if it isn’t, you now have an idea of where to start.

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Michelle Paulsen

Michelle, a former author for renowned tech publications TechCrunch and The Verge, has established herself as a prominent figure in technology journalism. With her deep industry knowledge and experience, she excels at breaking down complex tech topics into engaging, reader-friendly articles. Known for her sharp analysis and compelling storytelling, Michelle has a proven track record of enlightening readers about the latest tech trends and innovations.

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