Google Chrome’s Incognito mode isn’t 100% private

Your browser doesn’t hide your activity from your employer
Privacy restriction: Incognito mode on Google Chrome doesn't hide your activity from everyone
Google
Ben Travis28 November 2017

Just when you thought you could make your browser history entirely private, a Google developer is here with some bad news: you’re not totally off the grid when you’re using Chrome’s Incognito mode.

The browser setting can be turned on to ensure your PC or phone doesn't collect cookies or leave a record of the URLs you visit.

However, that doesn’t mean that your browsing history is totally hidden.

Speaking to Thrillist, Google’s Vice President of Chrome, Darin Fisher, explained what Incognito actually does – and warned people about what it can’t do.

"When you launch the Incognito tab there’s this disclaimer there where we really try to help make it really clear to people that your activity is certainly still visible to the websites you visit and could be visible to your employer, to your school your, and to your ISP [internet service provider] of course," he said.

He added that Google struggled to come up with a name for Incognito that didn’t oversell the limited privacy that the mode provides.

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This might not be totally new to all users – as Fisher notes, the abilities and limits of Incognito are spelled out for users who open the mode.

“Now you can browse privately, and other people who use this device won’t see your activity. However, downloads and bookmarks will be saved,” Google’s warning reads.

“Chrome won’t save the following information: Your browsing history, cookies and site data, and information entered in forms.

“Your activity might still be visible to: Websites you visit, your employer or school, your internet service provider.”

Fisher suggests users go Incognito when they’re buying gifts online for loved ones who use shared devices, or to protect against dodgy websites that collect user data.

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