Incognito or Private Browsing mode in web browsers is marketed as a way to browse more privately or anonymously. For example, Google Chrome’s help page says you can “browse the web more privately in Incognito mode,” and Firefox promises that Private Browsing “does not save your browsing information… and leaves no trace” on your device. Apple’s Safari explains that in Private Browsing it “won’t remember the pages you visit, your search history, or your AutoFill information,” and even blocks known trackers. Microsoft Edge similarly advertises that InPrivate will delete your browsing history, cookies, and site data when you close the window.
In short, the big browsers say private mode will stop your own device from recording what you do (so others using the same computer won’t see it) and may block some tracking cookies. However, the names and icons (like Chrome’s spy logo) give the impression of full privacy or invisibility. Many users assume that Incognito means nobody – not even websites or the government – can see their activity. This is not true.
- Local device cleanup: Incognito mode opens a fresh browser window that does not use your regular history, cookies, or form data. As you browse, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc., keep a temporary record of the sites you visit. Once you close the Incognito window, the browser deletes that session’s history, cookies, cache, passwords, and form entries. In effect, “all traces of your incognito activities… are gone as soon as you close "the private windows," but only on your device. Your browser simply forgets those pages – it’s “as if Chrome, Firefox or whatever browser you’re using has its back turned” until you close it.
- What is removed: This cleanup means your normal browsing history and autocomplete lists won’t include any Incognito activity. Cookies and trackers placed during the session are deleted when you exit. (Notably, Chrome and other browsers now block third-party cookies by default in Incognito, reducing some cross-site tracking while you browse.) However, anything you download or any bookmarks you create are not deleted at the end of the session. Incognito won’t clean up files you save or pages you bookmark.
- What Incognito does not do: Incognito mode does not hide your activity from the wider Internet. Your IP address (your device’s internet address) is still visible to every website you visit and to anyone observing your network traffic. In other words, Incognito is not a VPN or proxy. It does not encrypt your traffic or conceal your identity from websites, ISPs, or network observers. Even during your private session, websites can still store cookies (until you close the window) and run scripts or trackers that follow what you do on their site. As Wired explains, "as soon as you log into any of your favorite sites in incognito mode… your actions are no longer anonymous" to those services. And even if you never log in, websites can use clues like your IP address, browser type, or device to recognize you or tie your visits together.
- No anonymity beyond the browser: Incognito does nothing to protect you from snooping by your ISP, employer, or network administrator. It also won’t stop more advanced tracking techniques like browser fingerprinting. As Mozilla bluntly notes, “Private Browsing does not make you anonymous on the Internet. Your Internet service provider, employer, or the sites themselves can still gather information about pages you visit”. Incognito doesn’t prevent malware, keyloggers, or browser extensions on your computer from capturing what you do. In short, Incognito only keeps your own browser from remembering a session – it does not make you invisible online.
Even in Incognito/Private mode, third parties can still observe or record what you do:
- Websites you visit (and advertisers): Each site you visit still sees your IP address and any information you submit (like logins or searches). If you sign into Google, Facebook, or other accounts, those companies will know exactly what you do during that session. Even without signing in, websites and ad trackers can often identify your device by IP address or browser fingerprint. For example, Mozilla and industry experts point out that so long as your IP is visible, "your identity and activity remain fully exposed to search engines and third parties… regardless of what mode you’re browsing in". Internet Service Provider (ISP) and network: Your ISP (or mobile carrier) can see every server you connect to. Likewise, if you’re on a work or school network or public Wi-Fi, the administrators there can monitor your traffic. Incognito won’t stop them from knowing which websites you visited or capturing the contents of unencrypted traffic.
- Employers and schools: If you use a company/school device or network, IT staff or monitoring software can log your activity. Browsing in Private mode only hides your history on the device itself; it doesn’t hide it from network logs or surveillance.
- Search engines and service providers: Companies like Google or Microsoft may tie searches and activity back to you if you are signed into an account. (Even in Incognito, Chrome offers to log you out of Google – but if you don’t, "your searches are once again being logged and associated with your account".) And any site you visit (say a search engine or social media site) will still receive your queries or actions in the normal way.
- Others on your device: The one thing Incognito does do is hide your browsing from other people who use the same computer. No one else using your browser (without hacking it) will see the history or cookies from your private session – that data is wiped locally when you close the window. In summary, your browsing is still visible to the web and network around you. Incognito only clears the slate on your own device. As an AP report puts it, Incognito "prevents data from being logged on your device," but it "does not make your activities invisible" to external parties.
Browser makers do warn users about the limits of private mode, but you have to read carefully:
- Google Chrome (Incognito): Google’s help page simply says Incognito lets you "browse more privately" on your computer. It notes that third-party cookies are blocked by default in Incognito. After recent lawsuits, Chrome updated its Incognito splash screen: it now explicitly warns "this won’t change how data is collected by websites you visit and the services they use," In other words, Chrome admits it only prevents local recording, not tracking by sites.
- Mozilla Firefox (Private Browsing): Firefox’s documentation is clear that private mode doesn’t save data locally: "Private Browsing does not save your browsing information, such as history and cookies, and leaves no trace after you end the session". Firefox also highlights that it shields you from most third-party trackers by default. But Mozilla cautions: "Private Browsing does not make you anonymous on the Internet. Your Internet service provider, employer, or the sites themselves can still gather information about pages you visit".
- Apple Safari (Private Browsing): Apple’s support says that in Safari’s Private Browsing, Safari "won’t remember the pages you visit, your search history, or your AutoFill information". It also says it will block known trackers and strip tracking data from URLs. Like the others, Safari only talks about what it erases on your devices, not about hiding from ISPs or search engines.
- Microsoft Edge (InPrivate): Edge’s help page states that InPrivate mode will delete your browsing history, cookies, and other site data "when you close all InPrivate windows". It makes clear that this is only on your PC. In fact, Microsoft warns: "Other people using this device won’t see your browsing activity, but your school, workplace, and internet service provider might still be able to access this data". (Another Microsoft page similarly says your InPrivate data "isn’t saved on your PC once you’re done".)
In short, each browser’s official documentation mostly explains what private mode removes from your computer. They do not claim it makes you invisible online. In several cases (like Chrome and Edge), the browser even points out that activity can still be seen by websites, network admins, or your ISP.
Believing that Incognito is truly private can give users a false sense of security. Several lawsuits and investigations have highlighted this gap:
- Class-action lawsuits: In 2020, Chrome users filed a $5 billion class-action lawsuit against Google, arguing that "Incognito mode isn’t actually incognito" and accusing Google of violating privacy laws by tracking users in Incognito. (The plaintiffs cited wiretapping and privacy statutes in their claims.) Google settled this case in 2024. It agreed to delete certain data collected from Incognito users and improve disclosures, but it paid no damages to consumers. News reports note that Google’s settlement requires it to change the Incognito landing page to say that browsing is "more private" and to explain limitations.
- State and regulatory actions: In 2022, the Texas Attorney General amended a lawsuit against Google to accuse it of not being upfront about data collection in Incognito mode. The Texas complaint noted that Google’s Incognito disclaimer was "insufficient to alert Texans to the amount, kind, and richness of data-collection that persists during Incognito mode." It argued that by advertising "private browsing," Google created an "expectation of privacy that it didn’t fulfil". (Texas ultimately secured a $1.38 billion settlement from Google in May 2025 over related privacy claims.) Other state attorneys general and consumer advocates have criticized similar issues.
- Misleading marketing concerns: Security experts say private modes have been misnamed. A Bitdefender security blog calls Incognito’s promise a "fake sense of privacy," pointing out that many users are misled into thinking their data stays "confidential, unseen by third parties". In fact, Bitdefender notes, Chrome’s own Incognito splash screen explicitly warns that activity might still be visible to websites, employers, and ISPs. In general, regulators can view a promise of privacy as a legal claim: if a browser advertises "private" but lets hidden trackers run, that could potentially be seen as deceptive advertising or even a false claim under consumer-protection laws.
- These legal developments underscore the reality: Incognito mode has limitations, and users should not assume it hides them from everyone on the Internet. The lawsuits forced Google to admit in court documents that "we need to stop calling it Incognito" or risk misleading users. Other browsers have not faced big lawsuits yet, but all browsers face scrutiny to make their private-mode claims accurate.
Incognito or Private Browsing has its uses – but mainly for local privacy, not anonymity. It is handy when you share a computer and don’t want other users to see your history, or when you need a "fresh" browser session (for example, logging into a second account). It also helps if you want to keep certain searches or visits out of your device’s history and search suggestions. In those scenarios, private mode does exactly what it’s designed to do: clear the slate on your machine. However, for true privacy or anonymity online, incognito is not enough. It will not hide your IP address, encrypt your traffic, or block sophisticated trackers. For real privacy you need additional tools (like a VPN, the Tor browser, or privacy-focused search engines). As one security analysis points out, unlike a VPN, Incognito mode "doesn’t employ actual privacy mechanisms such as IP cloaking or traffic encryption". In other words, a VPN or Tor is required to truly hide your identity and location. Bottom line: Use Incognito/Private mode when you want to avoid leaving traces on your device (e.g. on a shared or public computer). Don’t use it if you think it makes you invisible online. Remember that your ISP, the sites you visit, and any trackers or networks can still see your activity. Always read the fine print: Chrome now explicitly warns Incognito offers only "more private" browsing, not complete privacy. If you need serious privacy, consider stronger solutions in addition to (or instead of) Incognito mode.
Sources:
- Official browser help pages: support.google.com, support.mozilla.org, support.apple.com, support.microsoft.com.
- Technology news reports: wired.com, foxnews.com, bitdefender.com, forrester.com, malwarebytes.com, and privacy analyses from Wired, NPR, AP, and cybersecurity experts.
- CRUXNET's Youtube Video: Why Incognito Mode (Private Browsing) Isn't Private.