Using a web browser’s private or incognito mode doesn’t save your browsing history, cookies, or other data from the websites you visit on your computer or device. This gives you some privacy while browsing.
However, there may be times when you want to turn off private or incognito mode. In this article, we will discuss how to disable or exit this private browsing in popular web browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and others.
How to Turn off Incognito Mode?
1. On Chrome Browser
For Windows
Here’s how to turn off Chrome’s private or incognito mode on Windows:
- Open the Start menu and search for “Command Prompt”.
- Right-click on the Command Prompt program and select “Run as administrator”
- A black window will open.
- On this window, type the following line:
REG ADD HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome /v IncognitoModeAvailability /t REG_DWORD /d 1
- Then press Enter.
This adds a setting to Windows that disables or turns off the ability to open incognito or private browsing windows in Chrome.
For Mac:
Here’s how to turn off Chrome’s private or incognito mode on Mac:
- Open the “Finder” window on your Mac. This shows your files and folders.
- From the menu at the top, click “Go” and then select “Utilities”.
- In the “Utilities” folder, find and open the ” Terminal ” program.
- A window with some text will open.
- In this window, type exactly: defaults write com.google.chrome IncognitoModeAvailability -integer 1
- Press the “Enter” key on your keyboard.
2. On Firefox Browser
Here’s how to turn off  private browsing mode in the Firefox web browser:
- Open Firefox on your computer.
- Click on the three horizontal lines or “hamburger menu” icon in the top right corner.
- Select “Add-ons” from the menu that appears.
- In the search box at the top, type “private begone”.
- When “Private Begone” appears in the results, click on it.
- Click the “Add to Firefox” button.
- If a pop-up window appears, click “Add” to confirm.
- Click “Okay, Got It” to complete installing the add-on.
- Close all open Firefox windows by exiting Firefox completely.
- Restart Firefox.
After following these steps, you will no longer be able to open new private browsing windows in Firefox. The “Private Begone” add-on disables that feature.
3. On Microsoft Edge
Here’s how to turn off the “InPrivate” browsing mode in the Microsoft Edge web browser:
- Close all open Microsoft Edge windows by fully exiting the program.
- Open the Start menu and search for “REGEDIT” then select the Registry Editor app.
- Allow it to make changes if your computer asks for permission.
- In the left panel, navigate to this path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft
- Right-click on the “Microsoft” folder and select New > Key.
- Name this new key “MicrosoftEdge”
- Right-click on the new “MicrosoftEdge” key and select New > Key again.
- Name this one “Main”
- Right-click on the “Main” key and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
- Name this new value “AllowInPrivate”
- Double-click on the “AllowInPrivate” value you just created and change its Value data to 0.
- Click OK.
- You can now close the Registry Editor.
- Then restart your computer.
After following these steps, you will no longer have the option to open an InPrivate browsing window in Microsoft Edge.
4. Disable Incognito on Chrome in Android
Here’s how to turn off the Chrome’s private or incognito mode on an Android phone or tablet:
- Open the Google Play Store app on your Android device.
- In the search box, type “Disable Incognito Mode”.
- Find the app called “Disable Incognito Mode” in the search results.
- Uninstall it.
- Once installed, open the “Disable Incognito Mode” app.
- Tap the “Open Settings” button inside the app.
- On the settings screen, turn on the option labeled “DisableIncognitoMode” by tapping the switch next to it.
- If your phone asks for permission, tap “Allow” to let the app make changes.
5. Disable Incognito on Safari in iOS
Here’s how to turn off private browsing mode in Safari on an iPhone:
- Go to Settings > Screen Time and turn on Screen Time.
- Set up a parental controls passcode if prompted.
- Go to Content & Privacy Restrictions and enter your passcode.
- Turn on Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Tap Content Restrictions > Web Content.
- On the Web Content page, tap “Limit Adult Websites”.
This uses Screen Time’s content restrictions to prevent opening private Safari windows on the iPhone.
Conclusion
Private browsing can be a helpful feature, but it can also expose children to inappropriate content on the internet. To ensure your device’s security, you can use fingerprint or face unlock features. Additionally, if you want to have more control over your child’s device, you can enable parental controls. This will give you extra security options and allow you to monitor your Google account activity.