Incognito Mode on Safari: How to Use Private Browsing on iPhone and Mac

If you’re searching for Incognito Mode on Safari, Apple calls the feature Private Browsing. It keeps pages, recent searches, and AutoFill details out of Safari’s ordinary history, and private tabs aren’t shared with your other Apple devices. It doesn’t make you anonymous online: websites can still identify accounts you sign in to, and a private tab alone doesn’t switch on Apple’s separate IP privacy features.

What Safari Private Browsing does

Private Browsing is useful when you share a device or want a browsing session kept out of the usual Safari history. Apple says Safari does not remember the pages you visit, your search history, or your AutoFill information in this mode. Private tabs also stay out of the tab lists shown on your other Apple devices. Safari adds tracking protections in private sessions, including blocking known trackers and removing tracking identifiers from URLs.

That is different from erasing existing records. If you browsed in a regular window first, switching to Private Browsing does not remove that earlier history. And “private” describes what Safari stores on your device; it is not a promise that every person or service involved in the connection cannot see activity.

Turn on Private Browsing on iPhone

1. Open Safari.
2. Tap the More button in the toolbar. Depending on your Safari layout, you may first need to open the tab overview.
3. Tap New Private Tab.

Look for a dark or gray search field, or the word Private, to confirm you are in the private tab group. On iOS 17 and earlier, open the Tabs view, swipe to the Private tab group, and tap the plus button to open a tab. Apple’s iPhone Private Browsing instructions show both the current route and the older layout.

Leave Private Browsing on iPhone

Tap More, then choose New Tab to return to regular browsing. On older versions, switch from the Private tab group to the numbered regular tab group. Switching away does not close your private tabs; Safari keeps them available and locks them when you leave Private Browsing. If someone else can unlock your phone, close private tabs from the tab overview too.

On supported iPhones, private tabs can require Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode when you return to them. If you need to review the control, open Settings > Apps > Safari and look for the Private Browsing unlock requirement under Privacy & Security. The exact label depends on the device. See Apple’s guide to Locked Private Browsing.

Open a private window on Mac

1. Open Safari and choose File > New Private Window.
2. Or press Shift-Command-N.
3. Check for a dark Smart Search field with white text, then browse in that window.

Safari keeps private windows separate from regular windows. Apple notes that pages, recent searches, and AutoFill information from private browsing aren’t saved, and changes to cookies and website data aren’t saved after the private session. To leave the mode, close the private window or choose File > New Window for a regular one. Apple documents the shortcut and steps in its Safari troubleshooting guide and Mac Safari User Guide.

Lock private windows when you step away

On Mac, Safari can lock private windows so they require your password or Touch ID to reopen. In Safari, choose Safari > Settings > Privacy and enable the option to require a password or Touch ID for locked tabs. Then choose Window > Lock All Private Windows. Safari can also lock private windows automatically when you lock or leave your Mac, depending on your settings.

What Private Browsing does not hide

• Your account activity: If you sign in to a website, that service can associate activity with your account.
• Everything saved outside Safari: Downloaded files remain on your device. Bookmarks or other items you deliberately save also remain, so private browsing is not a file cleanup tool.
• Your IP address from every site: Safari’s IP address protection is a separate setting. Apple says hiding your IP from both trackers and websites requires iCloud Private Relay, an iCloud+ feature whose availability varies by region.

Private Browsing and iCloud Private Relay do different jobs. Private tabs keep a session out of Safari history; Private Relay routes Safari traffic through two relays to help prevent websites from seeing your IP address and network providers from collecting your Safari browsing activity. Turning on a private tab does not enable Private Relay.

If you forgot to use a private tab

Clear Safari history separately. On iPhone, go to Settings > Apps > Safari > Clear History and Website Data. On Mac, choose History > Clear History in Safari and select the period to clear. This removes Safari’s saved history and related browsing data, but it does not delete downloaded files or erase records kept independently by websites or other apps. Apple lists the details in its guide to keeping Safari browsing history private.