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Explore Google Chrome Features: Incognito mode

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For times when you want to browse in stealth mode, for example, to plan surprises like gifts or birthdays, Google Chrome offers the incognito browsing mode. Webpages that you open and files downloaded while you are incognito won't be logged in your browsing and download histories; all new cookies are deleted after you close the incognito window. You can browse normally and in incognito mode at the same time by using separate windows.

Browsing in incognito mode only keeps Google Chrome from storing information about the websites you've visited. The websites you visit may still have records of your visit. Any files saved to your computer will still remain on your computer.

Example: If you sign into your Google Account on http://www.google.com while in incognito mode, your subsequent web searches are recorded in your Google Web History. In this case, if you want to make sure your searches are not stored in your Google Account, you'll need to pause your Google Web History tracking.

Changes made to your Google Chrome bookmarks and general settings while in incognito mode are always saved.

To turn on the incognito mode, follow these steps:

  1. Click the Tools menu tools menu.
  2. Select New incognito window.

A new window now opens with the incognito icon incognito icon in the top left corner. You can continue browsing as normal in the other window.

  • You can also right-click any link and select Open link in incognito window.
  • If you're familiar with command lines, you can append an --incognito switch to the end of your command to launch Google Chrome in incognito mode.
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