Chrome guide
Daniel Okonkwo writes about phones and mobile apps for Appcyclopedia, working on a MacBook Pro, a Pixel 9 Pro and an iPhone 15.
- Windows
- macOS
- Android
- iOS
Short answer
Select More (three dots) at the top right and choose New Incognito window, or press Ctrl+Shift+N on Windows or Cmd+Shift+N on a Mac. On a phone, tap More, then New Incognito tab. Close every incognito window to end the session.
Private on your device, not invisible: websites, your employer or school, and your internet provider can still see what you do.
Below: the steps on each device, what incognito keeps and deletes, and good uses for it.
How to browse privately in Chrome with incognito
To open an incognito window in Chrome, use the menu or a keyboard shortcut. The first group covers a computer, the second a phone, and the last ending the session.
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On a computer
Select More, then New Incognito window
In Chrome, select More, the three dots at the top right, and choose New Incognito window. A dark window opens with the incognito icon to the right of the address bar.
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Or press the keyboard shortcut
Press Ctrl+Shift+N on Windows, Linux or ChromeOS, or Cmd+Shift+N on a Mac. The incognito window opens straight away.
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On a phone
Tap More, then New Incognito tab
In Chrome on Android or iPhone, tap More and choose New Incognito tab. Incognito tabs are kept apart from your normal tabs, and you switch between them from the tab overview.
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End the session
Close every incognito window
Your incognito session lasts until you close all incognito windows or tabs. Opening a second one continues the same session. When you close the last, Chrome deletes the cookies and history from that session.
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Keep in mind what stays
Bookmarks you add and files you download in incognito stay on the device after you close it. Delete downloads yourself if they should not be found.
Buying a birthday present on a shared family laptop: open an incognito window, search and order the gift, then close the window. The searches and the shop do not appear in the browser’s history for the next person.
Use incognito for one-off private browsing on a shared device: it keeps your history and sign-ins off that computer once you close it.
More about Chrome
Google’s free web browser, built on the open-source Chromium project.
If incognito mode does not behave as expected
- A website does not work in incognito
Incognito blocks third-party cookies by default, which some sites need. Allow them for that site from the eye icon in the address bar, or use a normal window.
- There is no incognito option
On a work, school or family-managed device, an administrator can turn incognito off. Ask whoever manages the device.
- You are still signed in to a site
Another incognito window from the same session is still open. Close every incognito window to end the session and sign-ins.
What incognito hides, and from whom
Incognito protects your browsing from other people who use the same device. It does not hide you from the sites you visit or the networks you use.
| Hidden by incognito | Still visible | |
|---|---|---|
| Your history on the device | Yes, deleted when you close | |
| Cookies and sign-ins | Yes, deleted when you close | |
| Websites you visit | They see your visit | |
| Your employer, school or internet provider | They can see your activity | |
| Downloads and bookmarks | Kept on the device |
Think of incognito as private from the next person at the keyboard, not from the internet.
Good uses for incognito
Incognito suits short, one-off sessions: checking an account on a friend’s computer, shopping for a gift on a shared laptop, or seeing a website as someone who is not signed in. Because each session starts fresh, it is also a quick way to test whether a problem comes from your cookies or an extension.
What to do after browsing incognito
Close every incognito window when you are done, and delete any files you downloaded if the device is shared.
Press Ctrl+Shift+N or Cmd+Shift+N, browse, then close all incognito windows. To clear what a normal window has saved instead, the guide to clearing cache and cookies in Chrome covers it.
Incognito in Chrome: what it does and does not do
- Can my employer see what I do in incognito?
- Yes, if you use their network or device. Incognito only stops Chrome saving history on the device; organisations that manage the network can still see activity.
- Does incognito hide me from websites?
- No. Websites can still see your visit and gather information, even when you are not signed in.
- Are my downloads deleted when I close incognito?
- No. Downloaded files and new bookmarks stay on the device until you delete them.
- Do extensions work in incognito?
- Most are turned off in incognito unless you allow them in the extension settings.
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Test log
Followed the steps? Tell us how it went on your device. Entries appear here after we check them.
- Worked Every step, start to finish · Elias Brandt and Marta Kowalczyk Team
I tested this
Steps performed and confirmed 2 days ago
When you need this
To browse in Chrome without saving history or staying signed in on that device, open an incognito window. Websites and networks can still see your activity.
- Describes
- Chrome on Windows and Mac · Chrome for Android and iPhone
- Takes
- A second
- Platforms
- Windows · macOS · Android · iOS
- Published
- 21 October 2026
- Facts checked
- 10 October 2026
Steps repeated and verified by 
Elias Brandt and 
Marta Kowalczyk
on
- Elias Brandt: the Windows steps on a ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Windows 11 Pro).
- Marta Kowalczyk: the Mac steps on a MacBook Air (macOS 27.0.1), the iPhone steps on an iPhone 16 Pro (iOS 27.0.1) and the Android steps on a Galaxy A55 (Android 16).
Chrome 
