private web search safari

How to Turn on Safari Private Browsing on iPhone: A Step-by-Step Guide

Turning on Safari Private Browsing on an iPhone is a simple process. Open the Safari app, tap the tabs button (which looks like two overlapping squares), then tap “Private” to turn on Private Browsing Mode. Now, Safari won’t remember the pages you visit, your search history, or your AutoFill information.

After you complete this action, your browsing activity will not be saved in Safari. This means that websites you visit won’t appear in your history, and information entered in forms won’t be saved for AutoFill.

Introduction

In today’s digital age, privacy is a hot commodity. With every click, tap, and scroll, we leave digital footprints that can tell a story about who we are and what we like to do online. That’s why learning how to turn on Safari Private Browsing on your iPhone is essential. Whether you’re entering sensitive information, researching a surprise gift, or simply want to keep your browsing history to yourself, Private Browsing Mode is your go-to feature.

This function is particularly handy for shared devices or when you want to keep your browsing habits under wraps. So, if you’re an iPhone user looking to browse the web without leaving a trace, you’re in the right place. We’ll show you how to enable this feature in just a few easy steps.

Step by Step Tutorial on How to Turn on Safari Private Browsing on an iPhone

Before we dive into the steps, let’s clarify what we’ll achieve here. By following these simple steps, you’ll enable Private Browsing Mode in Safari, which prevents Safari from keeping track of your browsing history, search records, and AutoFill information.

Step 1: Open the Safari App

Navigate to your iPhone’s home screen and tap on the Safari app to open it.

Opening the Safari app is your gateway to the internet on your iPhone. Make sure you’re connected to the internet before you proceed.

Step 2: Access Your Open Tabs

Look for the tabs button, which resembles two overlapping squares, and tap on it.

This button will show you all your currently open tabs. If you have many tabs open, you may have to swipe left or right to find the “Private” option.

Step 3: Enable Private Browsing

Find the “Private” option at the bottom left of the screen and tap it.

Once you tap “Private,” you’ll notice the color of the browser interface changes, indicating that you’re now in Private Browsing Mode.

Additional Information

Now that you’re all set with Private Browsing Mode on Safari, there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, while your browsing activity isn’t saved on your iPhone, your internet service provider or employer can still track it. Also, if you download files while in Private Browsing, they’re saved to your phone and visible in the Downloads folder.

Moreover, not all Safari features are available in this mode; for example, you can’t use Handoff to pass browsing activity between devices. Lastly, remember to close all private tabs before returning to regular browsing to maintain your privacy.

Open the Safari app on your iPhone.
Tap the tabs button to view your open tabs.
Tap “Private” to enter Private Browsing Mode.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does private browsing hide my activity from my employer or internet service provider.

No, Private Browsing only prevents Safari from saving your browsing data on your iPhone. Your activity can still be tracked by your internet service provider or employer.

Will downloads in Private Browsing show up in my regular downloads folder?

Yes, any files you download while in Private Browsing Mode will be saved to your iPhone and visible in the Downloads folder.

Can I use Handoff with Private Browsing?

No, Handoff does not work with Private Browsing tabs, as your browsing activity isn’t saved.

Can websites track me while I’m using Private Browsing?

Some websites may still track your activity using cookies during your Private Browsing session, but they will not be saved once you close the tabs.

How do I turn off Private Browsing?

To exit Private Browsing Mode, open the tabs view, tap “Private” again, and it will switch back to regular browsing.

Turning on Safari Private Browsing on your iPhone is a surefire way to maintain your online privacy. Whether it’s to shop for a surprise, handle sensitive work, or simply because you value your digital privacy, navigating this feature is a breeze. Just remember that while Private Browsing protects your data on your device, it doesn’t make you invisible online. Always exercise caution and use additional privacy tools if needed. Happy private browsing!

Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read over 50 million times.

After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.

His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.

Read his full bio here.

Your Guide to Private Browsing in Safari

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What private browsing does in safari, how to use safari private browsing on iphone and ipad, how to use safari private browsing on a mac, how to disable safari private browsing on iphone and ipad, how to disable safari private browsing on a mac, key takeaways.

Private Browsing in Safari hides browsing history, autofill details, downloads, and locks tabs after inactivity.
Safari on Mac groups private and non-private tabs, while on iPhone it shows all tabs regardless of mode.
To use Private Browsing in Safari, identify it by a dark address bar, "Private" indicator, or "Private" next to the site URL.

Most browsers offer a private browsing mode that aims to keep the websites you view off the record. But what exactly does it do in Safari and how do you get the best out of it?

First and foremost, Private Browsing keeps the website pages you visit out of your History . The aim is to prevent someone else from seeing which pages you have visited if they have access to your phone or computer.

In Safari, Private Browsing does a lot more than just hide URLs. It also:

Prevents recent searches from showing up in your history.
Stops remembering details you enter in forms for autofill.
Keeps downloaded items from appearing in your Downloads list.
Locks private tabs after a period of inactivity.
Adds tracking and fingerprinting protection.

However, it’s important to note that Private Browsing does not stop you from being tracked altogether. Websites you visit will still be able to use various methods to track you, and will still have access to all data that you send them.

On macOS, iOS, and iPadOS, Safari groups private tabs together, and separates them from non-private tabs. On Mac, each Safari window is either private or non-private, and can have as many tabs as you want.

On iPhone, you can switch between private and non-private modes, each of which shows all tabs belonging to that mode.

You can spot when you’re viewing a private tab with these signs:

The address bar has a dark background. This may be less noticeable if you’re using Dark Mode .
On Mac, you’ll see a prominent Private indicator in the title bar.
On iPhone, you’ll see Private alongside the site URL at the bottom of your screen.

The steps to enter Private Browsing mode are nearly identical on an iPhone and iPad. The only difference is that the tab icon is at the bottom of the screen on iOS and the top on iPadOS.

Long-press the tab icon (two overlapping pages) on the bottom-right (iPhone) or top-right (iPad) of your screen.
Tap the New Private Tab menu item.
If locked, enter your passcode to unlock Private Browsing.

You can enter Private Browsing mode on macOS using either a menu item or a keyboard shortcut:

Open the File menu and choose New Private Window .
Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut Shift + Cmd + n .
Use the browser as you normally would. Any tabs you open from this window will open in the same window, in private mode.

You may want to prevent users of an iPhone or iPad from using Private Browsing mode at all. To do so:

Open the Settings app.
Tap on Screen Time .
Under RESTRICTIONS , click on Content & Privacy Restrictions .
If not already enabled, press the toggle next to Content & Privacy Restrictions to enable.
Tap Content Restrictions .
Change the Web Content setting to Limit Adult Websites .

The option to enter private mode will now be gone.

On macOS, the wording of certain options differs slightly, but the overall process is near-identical to iOS:

Open System Settings via the Apple menu.
Click on Screen Time in the left panel.
Under the Restrictions section, click on Content & Privacy .
Click Content Restrictions .
Change the Access to Web Content setting to Limit Adult Websites .

Private Browsing will now be unavailable in Safari, although any existing private windows will stay open.

Of course, anyone can re-enable Private Browsing using the same process, in reverse. However, you can use Screen Time’s Lock Screen Time Settings option to set a passcode and enforce the setting permanently.

Private Browsing

How to Use Private Browsing in Safari

Private browsing, also known as incognito mode, lets you surf the web without storing your browsing or search history. Here's how to quickly turn private browsing on or off in Safari.

It's worth noting that private browsing won't disguise you from the sites you visit. They could still record your IP address and any information you enter into their sites, such as search terms. Additionally, private browsing won't protect you from web-based malware attacks, so you'll still need to be careful about what you click on whether you're in private or normal browsing mode.

Private browsing mode is helpful when you don't want other users to discover (accidentally or not) the sites you've been looking at. Apple iCloud syncs your browsing history between the Mac and the iPad and iPhone , so if you share devices, you can protect your privacy with private browsing mode. This also comes in handy if you're using a public computer and don't want to leave any AutoFill information behind.

Turn on Private Browsing on the Mac

In OS X, the quickest way to open a new private browsing window is with the keyboard shortcut.

1. Hold down Command+Shift+N. This will open a new window with private browsing enabled. Alternatively, go to File > New Private Window.

2. Search or browse the web as you normally would. The web pages you visit, your search history, and AutoFill information while you use the private browsing window won't be recorded.

3. Close the window when you're done with private browsing.

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Note that private browsing is OS X applies only to the private browsing window you have opened. If you open a new window with Command+N or File > New Window, that window will save your search history and other private browsing information.

Turn on Private Browsing in iOS

Safari on the iPad has a private browsing mode as well.

1. Tap the Pages button , which is shaped as two squares in Safari's menu.

2. Tap Private.

3. Tap the Search field to search for a site to visit.

4. Tap Pages then Private again to turn off private browsing mode.

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How to Enable or Disable Private Browsing in Safari iPhone and Mac?

Safari comes as a default browser app with all Apple devices like iPhone and Mac. Private or incognito browsing was first introduced in Safari in 2005. This helps to browse anonymously without storing the history of webpages visited. Though this is useful, you may want to disable the private mode. Perhaps your children also using your iPhone and you do want to know the history of sites they are visiting. Whatsoever is the reason, in this article we will explain how to disable private mode in Safari and enable it back whenever you needed.

Private Browsing Mode in Safari

Open Safari on your iPhone and tap on the tabs icon showing at the bottom right corner. Swipe the “Private” button (right side of the normal Start Page) and start using the Private mode .

On Mac, go to “File > New Private Window” menu or press “Command + Shift + N” shortcut keys to open a private tab.

New Private Window Menu Enabled in Mac Safar

The menu and the Private mode will be completely disabled when you or someone set restrictions in accessing websites .

Disable Safari Private Mode in iPhone

Tap on the Settings app on your iPhone’s home screen.

Go to “ Screen Time ” option from the settings page.

Scroll down and open “Content & Privacy Restrictions” option showing under “Restrictions” heading.

On the next screen, you should see the “Content & Privacy Restrictions” option is enabled. If not, tap the button and turn it on.
Go to “Store, Web, Siri & Game Center Content” option.

Tap on “Web Content” option showing under “Web Content” heading. This is set as “Unrestricted” by default.

Select “Limit Adult Websites” or “Only Approved Websites” option.

If prompted, enter your Screen Time passcode to unlock the screen.

Tap back arrow showing on top left corner and close the Screen Time settings.

If Safari is already opened, open App Switcher and swipe Safari app up to close it. Reopen the app again and you will no longer find the private mode available for browsing.

Note: Selecting “Only Approved Sites” will show the shortcuts to list of websites approved by Apple. Regardless of whether you limit adult sites or allow only approved sites, you have an option to add exception list to allow accessing specific websites.

Disable Safari Private Mode in Mac

If you are sharing the Screen Time settings across all your devices, then Private mode will be automatically disabled when you restrict websites in iPhone. You can do this under “Settings > Screen Time” and turn on “Share across devices” option. However, if you are only using Mac or logged in with different Apple accounts, then follow the below steps to disable Private mode in Mac Safari.

Click the Apple logo on top left corner of the screen and select “System Settings…” menu.

Go to “ Screen Time ” settings and open “Content & Privacy” restrictions option.

On the next screen, turn on “Content & Privacy” option and open “Store, Web, Siri & Game Center Content” option.

Click the dropdown against “Access to Web Content” option under “Safari” section. By default, “Unrestricted” option is set for the access.
Select “Limit Adult Websites” or “Allowed Websites Only” option.

Enter your Screen Time passcode and click “Done” button.

Close Safari and relaunch to see the “New Private Window” option is disabled under “File” menu.

New Private Window Menu Disabled in Mac Safar

Note: You can keep the Private mode available and lock Private tabs with Face ID so that no one can access them without your knowledge.

Enabling Private Mode Back

Follow the same steps and select “Unrestricted” option for “Web Content” in Screen Time settings to enable Private mode back in Safari. You can also follow the same steps in iPad or Apple Watch to enable or disable Private mode as you need. It is also possible to remove Safari app from iPhone / iPad using Screen Time restrictions though it is not possible to do that in Mac.

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How to use private web browsing on Mac

Many web users prefer to keep their browsing history secret and private – from loved ones, colleagues, even total strangers and advertising companies.

There are a few ways to protect your privacy. You could delete your history at the end of every browsing session, or use a VPN to stay anonymous online (our recommendation is NordVPN but we have a separate roundup of the best Mac VPNs ). But for a simple and free solution, we recommend the use of private browsing mode.

For similar advice relating to phone and tablet, see How to use private browsing on iPhone & iPad .

Why your browsing history is at risk

Many of us share our Macs with other people, and you don’t want to worry about any embarrassing websites you’ve been looking at being discovered by your spouse or flatmate.

The classic excuse is that you’ve been ‘researching an anniversary present’ and don’t want to spoil the surprise, but if you’ve been seeking medical advice or applying for jobs online it would be entirely reasonable to want to keep that information to yourself. And, all joking aside, porn users are entitled to their privacy too, particularly if they have kids and don’t want them to stumble across any adult sites.

If you’re thinking of having one machine for sharing and another for the private stuff, bear in mind that it’s not as simple as you might think. Safari features such as Top Sites, Frequently Visited and the Smart Search Field automatically display your history as you use the browser, and iCloud syncs this information between your Apple devices. If you look at a website on your Mac it could pop up when somebody uses your iPhone or iPad or vice versa.

Even if you trust people not to bother searching through your history, they could still accidentally discover what you’ve been looking at when the browser offers it as an autocomplete suggestion.

iCloud privacy

If you’re looking for more things to worry about, there were reports in 2017 that Apple hadn’t been removing deleted Safari web histories from iCloud. We believe the company has since tackled the issue, but it’s another example of the ways in which browsing histories can leak out unexpectedly.

According to ElcomSoft, the data might have disappeared from the devices, but it was still on iCloud and easily recoverable.

“We discovered that deleting a browsing history record makes that record disappear from synced devices,” said company spokesperson Vladimir Katalov. “However, the record still remains available (but invisible) in iCloud… We were able to pull additional information about Safari history entries including the exact date and time each record was last visited and deleted!”

What is private browsing?

Private browsing is an optional mode available in most web browser software where no record is kept of the sites you visit. If you’re looking at a website and you’d rather keep it to yourself, you should turn on private browsing before entering the URL.

Apple has included private browsing as a feature in macOS and iOS since way back in Safari 5.1 (in Mac OS X Lion) and iOS 5.

Private browsing in Safari

The way private browsing works varies from browser to browser . We cover the four most popular Mac browsers individually, but if you’re using one of the more obscure ones, don’t despair: just check the File > menu and look for mention of a private window or similar. (Shift + Cmd + N often works too.)

The key thing with private browsing mode(s) is that it can be applied to certain windows only, so be careful. The fact that you opened a private window doesn’t mean you’ll still be covered if you go back to an old window you had open before (or a new one you open without private browsing applied).

In Safari, you open a new private window by Choose File > New Private Window (Shift + Cmd + N).

You’ll now be viewing a window in private browsing mode. Safari won’t remember any browsing or search history. Once again, it’s important to know that this only applies to this window that you have opened . You can tell it’s a private window because the Smart Search Field will be a dark grey colour.

If you open a new tab within the private window it will also be private. But if you open another window using the standard File > New Window (Cmd + N), it will not be a private browsing window. So be careful to use just the private window(s) for your browsing session.

Private browsing in Chrome

Chrome’s private browsing mode is called Incognito, but it’s otherwise the same idea. Select File > New Incognito Window, or press Shift + Cmd + N.

You’ll notice that Chrome’s Incognito windows are a totally different colour to its normal ones.

Private browsing in Firefox

Select File > New Private Window, or press Shift + Cmd + P.

Private browsing in Opera

Select File > New Private Window, or press Shift + Cmd + N.

How to browse the web privately in Safari

Use Safari’s private browsing mode to surf the internet without having all of your information tracked and recorded. Private browsing prompts Safari to block websites from tracking your search behavior. The browser won’t remember any webpages you visit and your search history won’t get logged. Follow along with us to learn how to open Safari in private browsing mode on your iPhone, iPad and Mac.

A screenshot showing Apple's Safari browser running in private mode in iOS 15 on iPhone

How private browsing mode works

Browsing the internet in Safari’s private-browsing mode strengthens your online privacy. When surfing the web privately, website tracking is limited and none of your browsing history or login information is saved. This prevents others with have access to your device to view a list of websites you visited. Read: How to turn off Safari website tinting

Browsing certain websites privately in Safari ensures that those histories don’t pop up in everyone’s faces. For instance, you may want to perform a web search incognito or browse adult websites privately. As mentioned, private tabs don’t appear in Safari’s history. And to boost your privacy even further, private tabs also won’t show up in the list of synced tabs on your other devices.

Private browsing : Private browsing won’t remember your search history, show the pages you visit or reveal any automatically filled passwords. Private browsing also blocks some websites from tracking your search behavior.
Regular browsing : Public browsing isn’t private so it will in fact record your browsing and searching history, as well as your Autofill information like saved passwords.

Of course, Safari allows you to manually clear your browsing history and website data, including cookies, at any time. But with private browsing mode, you don’t need to do that because nothing gets remembered in the first place.

How to use private browsing in Safari for iPhone

To open a new private browsing tab on your iPhone or iPod touch, you must choose the Private tab group from the browser’s New Tab screen.

Open Safari on your iPhone or iPod touch with iOS 15.0 or later.
Touch the New Page icon in the bottom-right corner.
Hit “ ⌄ ” in the center of the tab bar at the bottom of the screen, then choose Private.
Touch Done to start browsing the web privately.

When in private browsing mode, Safari appears black or dark instead of white or gray. Specifically, the URL field turns gray and uses white text. You will also see a message near the top of the private window saying “Private Browsing Mode”.

When opening multiple private tabs, Safari nests them under a group titled “Private”.

A screenshot showing a new private tab group in Apple's Safari browser in iOS 15 on iPhone

To close a single private tab, hit the New Page icon to get thumbnails of all your private tabs, then swipe left each of the private tabs you wish to close. To exit private browsing mode, first touch the New Page button in the bottom-right corner, then choose Private . Now simply select a different, non-private tab group and then hit Done in order to switch to it.

How to use private browsing in Safari for iPad

Entering private browsing mode in Safari for iPad requires bringing the browser’s sidebar into view. The sidebar includes all the private tab options you need.

Open Safari on your iPad with iPadOS 15.0 or later.
Hit the sidebar icon near the top-left corner to open the Safari sidebar.
From the Safari sidebar on the lefthand side, choose the option labeled Private .

Doing so creates a new tab in a group dubbed “Private”. You can open multiple private tabs in this tab group. Private tabs don’t leave traces in the Safari history nor do they appear in the list of tabs on your other devices.

To hide your private tabs and exit private browsing mode, switch to a different tab group from the Safari sidebar. Don’t worry, any open private tabs you have will reappear the next time you invoke the private browsing mode.

Forcing mobile Safari to always open in private mode

Unfortunately, Apple hasn’t provided a toggle in iOS/iPadOS to force Safari to always open in private browsing mode similar to macOS Monterey. Thankfully, there’s a simple trick that’ll let you do just that.

The trick is in creating a new private tab like you normally would and leaving it intact when you exit Safari. Doing so makes your private tabs persist across sessions, with Safari automatically showing your private tabs the next time you launch the browser.

A screenshot showing a private mode message in Apple's Safari browser in iOS 15 on iPhone

If you exit private mode though, the next tab you open won’t be private. Safari will default to opening private windows each time you launch it.

How to use private browsing in Safari for Mac

You can open a new private browsing window in Safari on your Mac either by leveraging a dedicated menu option or invoking a special keyboard shortcut.

Open Safari on your Mac
Click Safari’s File menu, then choose New Private Window .

Doing so creates a new private window that has dark-colored borders, with the URL field set against the white text to distinguish it from regular Safari windows. You will also see a message near the top of the private window saying “Private Browsing Enabled”.

A Mac screenshot showing Apple's Safari browser on macOS Monterey with a regular window in the background and a private one in the foreground

To open a private window faster, hit Shift (⇧) – Command (⌘) – N on the keyboard.

Forcing desktop Safari to always open with a private window

You can also force Safari for Mac to automatically launch in private browsing mode.

Open Safari on your Mac.
Click the Safari menu, then choose Preferences .
In the Safari preferences window, select the General tab.
Click the menu next to Safari opens with , then choose A new private window .

Safari will default to opening in private browsing mode each time it’s launched.

A Mac screenshot showing preferences for Apple Safari on macOS Monterey with a setting to always open the browser in a new private window

A support document on the Apple website instructs people who don’t see this option to tick Close windows when quitting an app in System Preferences → General .

To close the current private window, simply close it. Switching to a non-private Safari window or opening one will also turn off private browsing temporarily until you click the private window again. Apple advises closing all private windows when you’re done using Safari’s private browsing mode in order to prevent other people from clicking Safari’s back and forward buttons to see pages you visited in the private windows.

What private browsing mode in Safari actually does

Wondering what all of the features of Safari’s private browsing mode are? Apple notes in support documents for Safari for iPhone , iPad and Mac that all of the following are true:

All of your tabbed windows are isolated from one another, so none of the websites that are open in your private window can see what other websites you might have open in the same window.
All of your login sessions and AutoFill information will be forgotten the next time the web browser is used.
Any of the webpages that you have open are kept out of iCloud so that other devices won’t have access to any of the webpages you have open in the private browsing window. Also, your recent searches won’t appear as suggestions when typing a search phrase into the URL field.
All of your search results from searches performed in a private browsing window are hidden and not stored.
Anything you download while in the private browsing window is not saved in your download history (downloaded items still end up in your Downloads folder or designated download location).
Private windows are not passed to other devices when Handoff is turned on.
All websites you visit are asked not to track you and Safari won’t remember cookie information from your current private browsing window when you begin your next browsing session.
Any plug-ins you have installed will also be limited to tracking your information from the private browsing window.

Use private browsing to surf the web anonymously

Your online privacy is important, and you should never give it up!

Most people won’t want to do all their web surfing privately. Browsing the internet publicly has its advantages, like better website personalization, the ability to view your browsing history and so forth. Read: How to reverse Safari’s polarizing redesign in iOS 15

Browsing certain websites privately in Safari ensures that those histories don’t pop up in everyone’s faces. Private browsing is useful even if you’re the only user of your device because you never know when you’ll be sharing a screen with someone in the future when you go surfing the web. For instance, you may wanna prevent others from knowing what you were looking up in the past such as when you were shopping for the holidays.

So whenever you feel like hiding all traces of your online activity in Safari, remember to switch to the private browsing mode before doing any web surfing.

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How to Use Safari's Private Browsing Mode

This article explains how to use Safari's Private Browsing mode, which prevents your browsing history from being logged on your Apple devices. It's a useful feature if you're buying gifts online for friends or family, for instance, and you don't want anyone with access to your devices to find out what you're up to.

Using Safari's Private Browsing Mode

Enabling Private Browsing limits Safari in three important ways: It prevents the browser from creating a history of the pages you visit, it stops AutoFill information like website usernames and passwords from being remembered, and any tabs you open won't be stored in iCloud .

Also, for added peace of mind when you browse privately, Safari automatically prevents cross-site tracking , and requests that sites and third-party content providers don't track you as a rule. Additionally, the privacy mode stops sites from modifying any information stored on your iOS device, and deletes cookies when you close the associated tab.

To enable Private Browsing in Safari, follow these steps.

Open Safari on your iPhone or iPad , tap the Pages icon (consisting of two squares) to bring up the open tabs view, and then tap the profile icon, centered at the bottom of the screen.

When you're done browsing, return to the open tabs view, individually swipe any open tabs to close them if you wish.
Tap the profile icon again, then choose your regular profile at the top. Your private browsing session is now cleared from memory.

Clearing Existing Browsing History

When you clear your browsing history on a device running iOS 11 or higher, the same logs are cleared on any other devices signed into your ‌iCloud‌ account. The following methods also clear all cookies and web data on the device you're currently using, although AutoFill information remains unchanged.

The first method outlined below allows you to either limit the clearing of history, cookies and website data to a specific timeframe, or to delete your existing web history altogether.

Open Safari and with a tab open, tap the Bookmarks icon (the open book) located at the bottom of the screen.
Tap the tab at the top of the screen with a clock symbol, and you'll see a history of your browsing activity.
To remove instances of recorded visits to specific web pages, swipe leftwards across individual logs in the list and tap the red delete button that appears.
To delete the entire browsing history list, tap Clear .
Choose the timeframe to clear ( Last hour , Today , Today and yesterday , or All history ), choose the profile or select All Profiles , then tap Clear History .

The second method of wiping your browsing history might be considered the 'nuke' option, since it clears all history, cookies and website data on that device, regardless of when the sites were accessed.

Open the Settings app and scroll down to Safari in the list.

And that's it. Note that these built-in Safari features only make you safer from discovery by other people in the same household.

If your privacy concerns extend to a desire for enhanced security and anonymity online, consider subscribing to a Virtual Private Network (VPN) service that offers an iOS client or supports OpenVPN ( Private Internet Access and ProtonVPN are two popular options), and using a Tor-powered browser for iOS .

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Top Rated Comments

This article explains how to use Safari's Private Browsing mode, which prevents your browsing history from being logged on your Apple devices. It's a useful feature if you're buying gifts online for friends or family, for instance, and you don't want anyone with access to your devices to find out what you're up to.

I can really use this info, because I’m always “buying gifts”. ;) :cool:

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How To : Safari's Private Browsing Mode Just Made Your Private Tabs Way More Private on iOS 17

Private Browsing mode finally lives up to its name in Apple's huge Safari 17 update for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. So whether you search for things you don't want anybody to know about or want to ensure websites and trackers aren't eavesdropping on your activity, you'll want to update your devices pronto.

By default, each tab in Safari's Private Browsing mode on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS is its own environment, isolated from your other tabs, so websites can't track your activity from the current tab to another session. You also won't see any recent private searches suggested when performing new searches in other tabs.

Don't Miss: 15+ New Apple Notes Features for iPhone and iPad That Will Finally Make It Your Go-To Notes App

Private tabs do not sync with iCloud, so they won't show up on your other Apple devices, and they won't work with Handoff or show downloaded files in Safari's downloads list. Once you close a Private Browsing tab, Safari forgets the pages you visited, your search history, your AutoFill information, and any new cookies or website data from the session.

But incognito browsing in Safari has even more protection available with the iOS 17 , iPadOS 17 , and macOS 14 Sonoma software updates. Here's everything you get with the new for-you-eyes-only browsing experience:

1. Face ID, Touch ID, or Password Protection

Safari's Private Browsing mode is now protected behind biometric authentication or your device passcode or password. So whenever you switch to Private Browsing from regular browsing or return to it from another app or window, you'll need to authenticate yourself using Face ID or Touch ID on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

If the biometrics scan doesn't work or your device is not equipped with biometric protection, you can use your device's passcode or password instead.

While it's more useful on iPad and Mac, devices frequently shared between family members or housemates, it can also ensure no one can access your locked incognito tabs on your iPhone whenever someone borrows it or hacks into it.

If Private Browsing is not locked on your device or you want to disable it, you can quickly turn it on or off.

On iPhone/iPad: Go to Settings –> Safari –> Privacy & Security, toggle on or off "Require Face ID to Unlock Private Browsing" or "Require Touch ID to Unlock Private Browsing," and confirm with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode. ( Shown below. )
On Mac: Go to Safari –> Settings –> Privacy, then check or uncheck "Require Touch ID to view locked tabs" or "Require password to view locked tabs."

2. A Separate Search Engine

You could already change Safari's search engine on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, but now you can choose separate search engines for regular and private browsing.

For example, you may like Google as your regular search engine, but you may want something like DuckDuckGo, which does not build user profiles and aims to prevent online tracking, as your search engine for Private Browsing mode. This can make Private Browsing even more private.

On iPhone/iPad: Go to Settings –> Safari –> Private Search Engine, then choose the one you want. ( Shown below. )
On Mac: Go to Safari –> Settings –> Search, click the browser next to "Private Browsing search engine," and choose the one you want.

You can choose between "Use Default Search Engine" or any available search engine, including Google, Yahoo, Bing, DuckDuck Go, and Ecosia. If you have additional languages installed on your device, you may see other options, such as Baidu, Sogou, Yandex, and 360 Search.

3. Protection Against Extensions That Access Page Content

Before, any Safari extensions you had turned on for regular browsing also applied to Private Browsing mode. Now, "extensions that inject scripts or can read information about the pages [you visit]" are disabled by default in Private Browsing mode on iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS 14 Sonoma, according to Apple.

In contrast, content blockers and other extensions that don't access any content on webpages are allowed in Private Browsing mode by default. This is because they don't pose any additional privacy or security concerns.

4. Customization Options for Extensions

As you could probably guess from the previous section, Safari 17 now lets you toggle extensions on or off for Private Browsing mode without affecting their status in regular browsing mode. So if you ever want to turn on an extension that Safari automatically disabled for Private Browsing, you can do that. And you can turn off any extension in Private Browsing you don't want or need when searching incognito.

On iPhone/iPad: Go to Settings –> Safari –> Extensions, tap an extension, and toggle the "Private Browsing" switch on or off. ( Shown below. )
On Mac: Go to Safari –> Settings –> Extensions, click on an extension, and toggle "Private Browsing" on or off.

When an extension is completely disabled, you won't be able to turn it on for Private Browsing alone. But when enabled on your "Personal" profile , you can turn it on or off for Private Browsing and any of your other profiles .

5. Automatic Tracker Blocking on Websites

Safari 17 has more advanced tracking and fingerprinting protection. In Private Browsing mode, it completely blocks known trackers from loading on pages.

6. Automatic Removal of Tracking IDs in Links

Safari 17 also includes Link Tracking Protection automatically for Private Browsing. Link Tracking Protection disables known tracking parameters appended to URLs that websites use to monitor your movements across the web and build profiles on you. For example, it may turn this:

To ensure it's enabled for Private Browsing, follow the applicable instructions below.

On iPhone/iPad: Go to Settings –> Safari –> Advanced –> Advanced Tracking and Fingerprint Protection, then choose either "All Browsing" or "Private Browsing." ( Shown below. )
On Mac: Go to Safari –> Settings –> Advanced, click "in Private Browsing" next to "Use advanced tracking and fingerprinting protection," and change it to "in all browsing" or "in Private Browsing."

Link Tracking Protection is an improvement in privacy, for sure, but it's not going to stop all marketing companies as there are ways to bypass parameter removals.

Other New Safari Features Also Work in Private Browsing

While the above features improve privacy when using Private Browsing mode, you can also use many of the other new features Safari has to offer when browsing incognito. Features that work in regular browsing that also work in Private Browsing include speedier Tab Group switching, faster and more relevant search suggestions, the new screen reader, and more.

Just updated your iPhone? You'll find new features for Podcasts, News, Books, and TV, as well as important security improvements and fresh wallpapers. Find out what's new and changed on your iPhone with the iOS 17.5 update.

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How to Turn on Incognito Mode in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari and Opera

Incognito mode doesn't block or mask your IP address but it does prevent a browser from recording session data

How to Turn on Incognito Mode in Google Chrome

While surfing the web incognito in Google Chrome, the browser doesn't save your history or other private data. To open a private browsing session in Chrome, follow these steps:

Select the Chrome Menu (three vertical dots) from the upper-right corner and then select New Incognito Window .

Alternatively, from the Chrome menu, select File > New Incognito Window . Or, press Ctrl + Shift + N (Windows) or Command + Shift + N (Mac).

A window opens, explaining the Chrome Incognito mode.

To open a link in an Incognito window, right-click it (or press Control + Click on a Mac), and then select Open Link in Incognito Window .

To exit Incognito mode, close the browser window or tabs.

To activate Chrome Incognito Mode on an iOS device , tap Menu > New Incognito Tab . On an Android device, tap More > New Incognito Tab .

How to Use InPrivate Browsing in Microsoft Edge

The Microsoft Edge browser in Windows 10 allows incognito browsing through the InPrivate Browsing function.

Open the Edge browser and select the More Actions menu (three dots).

Select New InPrivate Window .

On a Windows computer, use the Ctrl + Shift + P keyboard shortcut to enter an InPrivate Browsing window quickly.

A window opens, explaining the Edge InPrivate Browsing mode.

To open a link in the Edge InPrivate Browsing mode, right-click it (or press Control + Click on a Mac) and select Open in InPrivate Window .

To enter InPrivate Browsing mode in Edge on an iOS or Android device, select the Tabs icon and then tap InPrivate .

How to Turn on Private Browsing in Firefox

Incognito browsing in Mozilla Firefox is called Private Browsing mode. Here's how to activate the feature:

Select the Firefox Menu (three vertical lines), and then choose New Private Window .

A Firefox private browsing window opens.

To quickly open a Firefox Private Browsing window, press Shift + Command + P on a Mac or Control + Shift + P on a Windows PC.

To open a link in Private Browsing mode, right-click it (or press Control + Click on a Mac), then choose Open Link in New Private Window .

To enter Firefox Private Browsing mode on an iOS device, tap the Tabs icon at the bottom of the screen, and then tap the Mask icon. On an Android device, tap the Mask icon at the top of the screen.

How to Enter Incognito Browsing in Apple Safari

Safari is the default browser for macOS. Here's how to enter the Safari Private Browsing mode:

Open Safari on a Mac.

From the menu bar, select File > New Private Window .

Press Shift + Command + N to quickly open a private browsing window.

A window opens with a darker search bar and a message that Private Browsing is enabled.

To open a link in a private window in Safari on a Mac, hold the Option key and right-click the link (or hold the Control and Option keys and select the link), then choose Open Link in New Private Window .

How to Open a Private Window in Opera

The Opera web browser's incognito mode is called Private mode. Here's how it works:

Open Opera on a PC or Mac.

To quickly open a private window in Opera, press Ctrl + Shift + N on a Windows PC or Command + Shift + N on a Mac.

A window that explains Opera's Private mode appears.

To open a link in Private mode in Opera, right-click it (or press Control + Click on a Mac) and select Open in New Private Window .

To enter Private mode in the Opera iOS mobile browser, tap the More (three horizontal lines) menu and select Private Mode .

Private browsing prevents other users from seeing your internet history. It also blocks websites from tracking your online activity with cookies . Therefore, you're unlikely to see online ads related to websites you visit during private browsing sessions.

You can lock apps on Android with your device's security code or use a third-party app. You can also set up Android parental controls to childproof your device.

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Turn Private Browsing on or off on your iPad

When you use Private Browsing, the details of your browsing aren't saved, and the websites you visit aren't shared with your other devices. Safari won't remember the pages you visit, your search history, or your AutoFill information.

How to turn on Private Browsing

Open Safari on your iPad.

While Private Browsing is on, the Safari address bar appears black or dark instead of white or gray, and the buttons are black instead of blue.

How to turn off Private Browsing

Learn how to use Private Browsing on iPhone or iPod touch .

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Are Mechanical Keyboards a Good Idea for Mac Users? Here's What I Learned

These linux tools increased my command-line productivity: here’s how, windows 11 recall feature is on hold, quick links, google chrome: open incognito mode, mozilla firefox: open a private browsing window, internet explorer: open an inprivate browsing window, microsoft edge: open an inprivate browsing window, safari: open a private browsing window.

Private browsing has been around in one form or another since 2005, but it took some time for every browser to get behind it. Now, no matter what browser you use, you can surf the internet without leaving behind a local trail of history, passwords, cookies, and other assorted bits of information.

Private browsing is useful for covering your tracks (or rather, preventing any tracks from being made in the first place), among other things . It isn't infallible , however, and while it will prevent information from being stored on your computer, it won't prevent your employer, Internet service provider, websites you visit, or the NSA for that matter, from collecting any information you transmit beyond your computer.

Every browser has their own name for private browsing, and while accessing it is accomplished in practically the same way, there can be subtle differences from product to product.

Related: How Private Browsing Works, and Why It Doesn't Offer Complete Privacy

Google Chrome remains the most used browser on the market, and calls its private browsing mode "Incognito Mode".

On Windows and Mac

You can spawn an incognito window by clicking the special menu in the top-right corner of the browser window. On Windows, it will be three line and on macOS, it will be three dots. Then, choose "New Incognito Window". (You can also access this option from the File menu on a Mac.)

Alternatively, press the keyboard shortcut Control+Shift+N on Windows or Command+Shift+N on a Mac.

Incognito mode is unmistakable: just look for the man-in-a-hat icon in the upper left-hand corner. On a Mac, this will be in the upper-right corner. (On some systems running the newest version of Chrome, the window will also be dark grey.)

Keep in mind that even while in Incognito mode, you will still be able to bookmark sites and download files. Your extensions, however, will not work unless you've marked them "Allowed in Incognito" on Chrome's extensions settings page.

To exit incognito mode, simply close the window.

On Android and iOS

If you use Chrome on a mobile device such as an Android phone, iPhone, or iPad, you can tap the three dots in the upper-right corner of the browser window and select "New incognito tab" from the dropdown menu.

The browser will then tell you that you've gone incognito with all the requisite warnings as to what that means.

To close out of incognito, tap the box with the number in it (indicating how many tabs you have open) and go back to a non-private tab, or simply close the incognito tab(s).

Firefox simply calls their mode "Private Browsing". Like Chrome, it can be accessed from the menu in the upper-right corner. Just click "New Private Window". (You can also access this option from the File menu on a Mac.)

Your private window will have a purple band across the top of the window and an icon in the upper-right corner.

From this window, you can also turn tracking protection on or off. Tracking protection is intended to guard you from being tracked across multiple websites. The problem is, any website can simply ignore this request and track you anyway--so while tracking protection can't hurt, it may not help either.

To exit private browsing, simply close the window.

While its popularity is on the wane, Internet Explorer is still used by quite a few people. To access its private browsing mode, called InPrivate Browsing, click the gear icon in the upper-right corner then Safety > InPrivate Browsing, or simply press Ctrl+Shift+P on your keyboard.

IE will indicate it's in InPrivate mode from the blue box next to the location bar, which also bears the label "InPrivate".

When InPrivate is enabled, not only will your browsing history be ignored, but toolbars and extensions will be disabled.

To exit InPrivate browsing, close the window.

Edge is Microsoft's new browser that comes included with Windows 10. Like IE, it retains the InPrivate nomenclature to designate when a private browsing window is open. To open a new InPrivate window, use the menu from the upper-right corner or press Ctrl+Shift+P on your keyboard.

Once open, the entire browser window will be grey and each tab will say "InPrivate".

Once you're done with InPrivate mode, close the tab or window to exit and return to regular browsing mode.

Safari is the original purveyor of private browsing and as such, will also let you surf in a private window just like the others.

The Private Window option is accessible from the File menu or by pressing Shift+Command+N on your keyboard.

While private browsing is enabled, the location bar will be greyed out and a band along the top of the new tab window will indicate that you're in private browsing mode.

Extensions in Safari will continue to operate while in private mode, unlike Chrome and Internet Explorer.

To exit this mode, as usual simply close the window.

Finally, if you're using an iPhone or iPad and surfing with Safari, then you can use private mode on it as well. To do so, first tap the new tab icon in the lower-right corner of the new tab screen.

Now, tap "Private" in the lower-left corner.

Once activated, the browser screen will turn grey and will tell you that you're in private browsing mode.

To exit, simply tap the "Done" button in the lower-right corner of the screen.

As you can see, every browser has more or less the same procedure for going into private browsing mode, and most operate in the same way (with a few occasional differences). Additionally, you can expect to hide similar types of information from prying eyes when using browsing mode.

And remember, private browsing is useful for more than just privacy . It also allows you to log into the same site from different accounts. Say for instance you're logged into your Facebook account and your friend wants to check their real quickly, simply open a private window and let them at it.

You can also use private browsing to troubleshoot potentially problem extensions. Imagine something isn't acting right, is it your computer or is it a problem extension? Since private mode typically disables all extensions and toolbars, you can use it to see if the problem is replicated, if it is isn't, then you have a pretty good idea where to start.

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The incognito myth: how private browsing really works

How to use private browsing mode, what it doesn’t protect against, and why Google is deleting five billion dollars’ worth of user data.

Stan Kaminsky

June 5, 2024

How to set up private browsing and incognito mode correctly in 2024

Ask anyone how to protect your privacy online, and they’ll probably mention private browsing. Every major browser has it, although the names differ: it’s Incognito in Chrome, InPrivate in Edge, Private Window/Tab in Firefox, and Private Browsing in Safari. All these names evoke a sense of security — even invisibility: like you could browse the web safely and in full anonymity. Alas, this mode is far from being “incognito” in reality, although it is still helpful if you understand how it works and supplement it with anti-surveillance security .

How incognito mode works

In private mode, your browser doesn’t save your browsing history, remember information you enter in web forms, or store the graphics and code of the websites you visit in its cache. The tiny text files called cookies in which websites save your settings and preferences are only stored for as long as the private window stays open, and are deleted when you close it. This way, no traces of your browsing activity are left on your computer .

However, your actions are still visible from the outside. The websites you visit , your browser itself, browser extensions , your ISP, the office or school system administrator, and various advertising and analytics systems — such as those owned by Google — can all still track you.

Some browsers, such as Firefox, include additional privacy measures in private mode. These may include disabling browser extensions and blocking known analytics sites that track users and third-party cookies that weren’t set by the website you’re opening. However, even this doesn’t guarantee complete invisibility.

Five billion’s worth of incognito data

To get an idea of how much information can be collected about incognito users, look no further than the Brown v. Google lawsuit, which ended in the internet giant’s defeat. The company was ordered to destroy “billions of data records” pertaining to the activities of users who were browsing in incognito mode, and collected up until the end of 2023. Data that won’t be deleted immediately must be further de-identified, for example by removing part of each user’s IP address from the records. The court estimated the monetary value of the data to be deleted plus the data that will no longer be collected at a staggering $5 billion. However, affected plaintiffs will have to seek monetary compensation individually, so Google isn’t likely to lose much money.

More significantly for all users though, Google was ordered to start blocking third-party cookies in Incognito mode and generally provide a clearer description of how Incognito works. While Google’s methods for collecting information in Incognito mode weren’t fully disclosed to the public during the legal proceedings, some of the techniques were mentioned publicly: gathering data through Google Analytics, recording IP addresses, and collecting HTTP header data.

None of the above is news or a secret: any website on the internet can collect and use the same data, and this data gets sent out in private mode just fine.

How websites track incognito visitors

By login. If you enter your email, phone number or username, and password on a website, your browser configuration no longer matters: you’ve announced your identity to the website.

Cookies. Although the website can’t read “regular” cookies from your browser as long as it’s running in private mode, it can still set new ones. If you use a private browsing window day in, day out, without closing it, there’ll be plenty of information gathered about your movements around the web.

The IP address. Private browsing doesn’t hide your IP address in any way.

Digital fingerprinting. By combining information transmitted from your browser in HTTP headers with data that the webpage can collect with JavaScript (such as screen resolution, battery level for mobile devices, and the list of installed fonts), the website can generate a digital fingerprint for the specific browser on the specific device and use that later to identify you. Private browsing mode has no effect on this.

All of the above. Advanced analytics and tracking systems try to use a number of techniques to track you. Even if old cookies are unavailable due to private browsing, you can be remembered with an auxiliary method, such as digital fingerprinting. This means that even if you visit an online store in a private browsing mode without logging in, you might still see products you were interested in during previous sessions in your search history.

What you should and shouldn’t do in private browsing mode

😍 Search for a birthday present for a family member. Private mode will come in handy, as the keywords that could spoil the surprise won’t come up in the browsing and search history. It also will reduce the likelihood of the context ads that permeate today’s web, giving away your plan with banners about the subject. However, private mode will be of no help if you sign in to your account at the online store or marketplace and make a purchase, as the website will remember both you and the purchase. The search history and “recently viewed” items also may display on other devices where you’re logged in to the same account, so there’s still a chance of that surprise getting ruined. To sum it up, logging in to any account is a bad idea when browsing in private mode.

🤔 Look for a new job or secretly check medical symptoms . The computer will retain no traces of the activity, but your ISP will, and so will your office network’s system administrator. This isn’t something you should do at work for example, as you can’t rely on private browsing to help.

😡 Download illegal content. Don’t. And if you do download something like that in private mode, your ISP will still have recorded this activity under your account.

😎 Sign in to your account on someone else’s or a public computer. In this case, private browsing is the least you can do to protect yourself. It prevents you from leaving any undesired traces like an account name, web form data, a saved password, or locally stored cookies or personal files — unless you save something manually. That’s a start, but it doesn’t guarantee complete security: public computers are often infected with malware that can steal any data from the browser, with private browsing or not. So if you have to use someone else’s computer, it’s best to make sure it has reliable malware protection . If you’re not sure, we recommend changing your password for each account that you signed in to on that computer and enabling two-factor authentication after you log off and get back to your usual device.

🧐 Sign in to two accounts with the same site. Most browsers make this possible: you can sign in to one of the accounts in regular mode, and to the other — in private mode. This is about convenience rather than privacy, so private mode doesn’t really have any drawbacks when used this way.

What’s better than private browsing?

Private browsing mode is helpful, and there’s no reason to shun it entirely. For maximum privacy though, it should be combined with other measures:

An encrypted data channel (VPN) keeps your ISP and (work) system administrator from tracking your online wanderings, and allows you to change your IP address when visiting websites.
Tracking and ad blockers reduce the likelihood of your being identified by your digital fingerprint. Every browser supports anti-surveillance extensions, available from the official browser extension marketplace.
For maximum security in Do Not Track (DNT) mode, turn on Private browsing in Kaspersky Standard , Kaspersky Plus , or Kaspersky Premium .
For added secrecy, you can set up a separate browser with the most rigorous tracking protection settings, which our guide can help you select.

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6 Most Secure Browsers to Stay Safe and Protect Your Privacy

Most secure browser, featured image, illustration.

Everyone has a favorite browser for everyday use. While almost all browsers offer similar features, it’s essential to consider that some browsers offer better security and privacy than others. Therefore, choosing the most secure browser for your daily use will protect you while navigating the web.

A secure browser will also help you keep your data safe and ensure that others can’t go snooping around your activity. Unfortunately, although many popular browsers offer similar security and privacy features, not all are easy to use.

In this article, we’ll help you figure out the most secure browser for your needs. We’ll cover six of the most popular browsers, ranging from Chrome to Tor.

Let’s get to it!

Check out our video guide to safe browsers:

What Makes a Browser Secure?

It’s important to understand that most browsers don’t offer the most secure or private experience out of the box. As the user, it’s up to you to decide how to configure the privacy and security options that your browser makes available to you.

By default, most browsers will keep track of what sites you visit, store cookies, and even ask you to save your passwords. Sites might also get access to a lot of identifying information, including your location, the ability to show popups, run scripts, and much more.

A secure browser offers you a wealth of options to protect your information and secure your anonymity. However, in many cases, a more private web browsing experience translates to lesser convenience, which we’ll discuss in the next section.

The Basics of Browser Security

Browser security is all about applying best practices when it comes to data privacy and overall safe browsing. In our experience, browsers that offer the following features ensure a secure experience while navigating the web:

Warning you about sites and downloads they deem “unsafe”
Giving you control over what permissions you want to grant websites
Enabling you to disable cookies (if you want)
Disabling popups by default for most websites
Disabling redirects by default for most websites
Enabling you to disable scripts globally or for specific sites
Giving you control over your browsing history and cache
Updating your browser often

Some browsers come with more aggressive privacy and security features out of the box. However, we always recommend that you configure the settings manually when you set up a new browser. This applies regardless of which software you’re using.

Overall, browsing the web now is a much safer experience. Many features protect you from “dangerous” websites that might try to exploit your data or force you to download unsafe files. With a bit of common sense, your data should be secure if you use a modern browser.

6 Most Secure Browsers

Let’s take a closer look at six of the most popular secure browsers you can use.

You should note that this list isn’t ranked based on security and privacy features. After going through them all, you can decide which one fits your needs best.

Chrome is the undisputed leader among browsers when it comes to market share. It also offers a lot of features to help protect your data and increase anonymity while browsing.

Using Chrome, you can:

Request websites not to track your browsing
Block popups and scripts
Block cookies partially or globally
Enable warnings if you’re visiting a “dangerous” site or downloading an unsafe file
Get notifications if your stored passwords are exposed
Control what permissions websites get access to
Block specific websites

Chrome also gives you access to an incognito navigation mode that allows you to browse the web without saving history or cookies for each session. The browser also gets updated often, and part of its code is open source.

Although Chrome can be very secure depending on your settings, it’s not the best browser when it comes to privacy. You have to sign in to your Google account to use it, and the company tracks a lot of personal information about you, even if it doesn’t share that data with other websites.

Note: Google is currently in the middle of a lawsuit for allegedly tracking its users even when they’re using incognito mode.

If you’re using an Apple device, you probably rely on Safari for most of your browsing. Safari is second only to Chrome in terms of market share, and its slice of the pie continues to grow.

As far as security goes, Safari includes a lot of features that enable you to protect your data, including:

Preventing dangerous sites from loading
Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) feature, which limits advertisers to track your browsing
Blocking all cookies
Blocking websites from leveraging browser caching by default
Providing the option to block popups
Controlling website permissions
Offering access to a privacy report that tells you what trackers you encounter on the web

It’s also worth noting that Apple as a company is making significant strides in protecting user privacy. For example, in 2021, they launched an update that enables you to stop apps from tracking you , which is excellent news if you’re using one of their devices.

In 2020, Google researchers disclosed multiple security flaws in Safari . One of them alleged that the ITP feature leaked user data, but Apple claims they’ve fixed this issue. However, as Safari is not open source , it’s hard to know what’s happening with your data.

It’s important to note that even though Safari protects your privacy from third parties, the browser is closed source and shares your information with Apple. That’s a common problem with using a browser intimately tied to an ecosystem of apps and platforms (just as with Chrome).

Mozilla Firefox is one of the most popular browsers globally. However, during the past decade, it’s fallen in popularity compared to competitors Chrome and Safari. Back in 2010, Firefox held about 31% of the global browser market share . Eleven years later, it’s down to 11.4% .

Firefox’s dip in popularity has prompted the browser to re-invent itself. Still, Firefox has been one of the most secure internet browsers you can use, including features such as:

Offering tracker protection across the web (with different levels of security)
Providing reports on what websites are trying to track you (divided into categories)
Giving you the ability to opt-in for data breach alerts
Letting you opt-out of Firefox data collection
Offering control over website permissions
Blocking popups by default
Blocking dangerous downloads
Forcing all connections to load over HTTPS

It’s also worth noting that Firefox is an open source project, which means anyone (with the proper skill set) can analyze its codebase and make sure the browser isn’t collecting data it shouldn’t. Firefox also gets regular updates.

Firefox offers a fantastic combination of good security options and privacy practices. Plus, the company is big on privacy . As a result, it’s made Firefox one of the browser’s major selling points to help it compete against options such as Chrome, Safari, and Edge.

Microsoft Edge is the spiritual successor to Internet Explorer. But, unlike its predecessor, it’s not necessarily a browser you can discount without a second thought. In January 2020, Edge made the switch to Chromium , which means that it’s partly open source. Edge also gets many security updates, and it rivals Chrome in the speed of its release schedule.

Edge is slightly ahead of Firefox in terms of market share, but behind both Chrome and Safari. When it comes to features, Edge offers a similar set of security-related options, including:

Multiple levels of tracking prevention options
Reports on the trackers that it blocks across the web
Option to configure what level of tracking prevention to use in the browser’s private mode
Blocking websites from seeing if you have saved payment preferences
Automatic protection from malicious websites and file downloads
Letting you opt-out of tracking by Microsoft

Edge is also guilty of collecting data from its users regarding privacy, similar to Chrome and Safari. Some research points towards Edge being less privacy-inclined than other browsers because it shares hardware identifiers with third parties.

Although Edge brings a vast leap in user experience over Microsoft’s previous browser offering, it’s not the best option for user privacy. However, the browser is making significant strides in terms of features and gaining market share, which means it’s worth keeping an eye on.

Brave is a newcomer to the world of browsers. It launched in 2019, and it still barely registers market share against the more popular options. If you check out the statistics for browser market share, Brave is at the bottom of the barrel with 0.05% of usage :

Despite its small market share, Brave is the most exciting browser launched within the last few years. It offers many exciting features that other browsers don’t, including its closely linked advertising platform and cryptocurrency.

In terms of security, Brave is much more aggressive than other browsers. Here are some of the features it includes:

Blocking third-party ads by default
Blocking tracking by default
A built-in password manager
The ability to block cookies and scripts
Private browsing that works similarly to the Tor browser (which we’ll talk about next)
Forcing all connections through HTTPS

It’s important to note that Brave is based on Chromium. This means that despite the browser’s array of privacy settings, there are some concerns about the data being shared with Google’s servers.

Moreover, even though Brave disables ads by default, it still shows its advertisements, which means you are being tracked. You can disable Brave ads and rewards, but the entire program conflicts with Brave’s stated privacy standards.

You can’t talk about private browsers without talking about the Tor Project (or Tor for short). Under the hood, it’s a fork of Firefox browser specially designed for use with the Tor network.

All of that makes Tor by far the most secure web browser you can use. And it goes to great lengths to protect your privacy as well. But, unfortunately, that also means Tor isn’t the most user-friendly browser (and it’s not designed to be, either).

To give you an idea of how much Tor protects your privacy, let’s go over some of its key features:

Making it highly difficult to trace you by bouncing requests between volunteer relay servers
Disabling tracking by default
Disabling scripts by default on all websites
Not tracking your browsing history
Enforcing HTTPS use across all websites
Deleting all cookies after each session by default

Those features also mean that Tor isn’t the best option for day-to-day use. For example, some websites block Tor exit relays, which means that you won’t be able to log into your accounts. Moreover, since the browser blocks scripts by default, it won’t render many sites correctly.

Tor can also be pretty slow, even if you have a fast internet connection. That’s a side effect of routing your connection through multiple relays. That process offers increased obfuscation, but it slows navigation down.

Ultimately, if you want the most secure and private browser, then we recommend you use Tor. It’s no wonder that most whistleblower programs, like Freedom of the Press Foundation’s SecureDrop , recommend using Tor too.

What Is the Most Secure Web Browser?

In terms of absolute security, you can’t beat Tor. It offers the most private web browsing experience by far, and it goes to great lengths to protect your data. However, Tor wasn’t designed for everyday use, and the browser doesn’t offer a particularly user-friendly web experience.

Both Firefox and Brave provide a better balance between solid security features, privacy practices, and user-friendliness. Either browser is a fantastic option if you’re privacy-conscious. However, for increased security, we recommend that you look into privacy-enhancing extensions for both browsers.

Some common types of extensions you might use include:

A password manager: Brave offers this out of the box, but using a third-party option can be more secure.
Script blockers: Both Firefox and Brave offer script-blocking functionality. However, certain extensions enable you to block specific scripts within each page instead of on a site-by-site basis.
An ad-blocker: Disabling ads makes for a much better web browsing experience. Brave disables ads by default, but it also tries to get you to opt into its ad network.

Firefox has an extensive library of add-ons, while Brave accepts Chrome extensions because it’s based on Chromium. As long as you keep your chosen extensions and your browser up to date and check your privacy settings, you should be safe while browsing the web. Plus, both browsers are available on all major operating systems.

Choosing the most secure browser is relatively simple. By and large, if you’re using a browser tied to an ecosystem such as Chrome, Edge, or Safari, you can be sure that your data won’t be 100% private. That’s not to say that all three aren’t fantastic browsers, but they don’t put user privacy first.

If you’re concerned with security and privacy, your best options are Tor, Firefox, and Brave. However, Tor isn’t particularly user-friendly for daily use. That leaves you with Brave or Firefox. Your choice will depend on whether you want to use a Chromium-based browser or an alternative. In either case, you can’t go wrong.

Do you have any questions about what browser you should use? Then, let’s talk about them in the comments section below!

Salman Ravoof is a self-taught web developer, writer, creator, and a huge admirer of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). Besides tech, he's excited by science, philosophy, photography, arts, cats, and food. Learn more about him on his website , and connect with Salman on Twitter .

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Quite an impressive blog! But you missed Logii browser which is one of the most secure and privacy protected browsers.

I like this browser because it helps me to stay away from fingerprint spoofing. I think this will be a great addition to your blog.

I have been using Midori lite browser and I found it has been consuming less data. If there is any other browser in the view please suggest me as it will be a great help to me. Thanks a lot.

Your perspective in the article was truly enlightening. I’m grateful for the wisdom you shared.

The Best Web Browsers of 2024

We tested the most popular web browsers to see which is the fastest and best.

Works natively with Google services
Syncs across multiple devices
Outperforms the competition in speed

Blocks cryptominers
Prevents fingerprinting
Stores passwords locally

Provides high customization
Protects against phishing
Syncs data between devices

Our pick: Which web browser is best?

Google Chrome is our pick for the most well-rounded web browser you can get. It’s fast and synchronizes across every device you use. You can perform a search within the address bar, group your browser tabs, and more. Want to go dark? Chrome supports themes, too.

We spent many hours comparing the best web browsers in terms of speed using a handful of tests on Windows and Mac. We provide the results in our Methodology section to show which is the fastest web browser on your favorite desktop platform.

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Best overall
What to look for
Best browser features
Which browsers are the fastest?

Our verdict

Methodology, the 6 best web browsers.

Best overall: Google Chrome
Best for security: Mozilla Firefox
Best for customization: Vivaldi
Best for social media: Opera
Best for Mac: Apple Safari
Best for Windows: Microsoft Edge

Compare web browser features

What should you look for in a web browser.

The best web browser should be fast and clean to give you the best browsing experience. You don’t want excessive bloat that can bog down your device and cause web pages to load at a dial-up pace.

And while speed is great, security should also be a high priority. Internet browsers should protect users from trackers, hackers, and pesky internet eavesdroppers.

Ultimately, a browser should be your interactive window looking out into the World Wide Web—a picture frame that should never distract you from the view at hand.

Get the best router to complement your fast browser

We tested and reviewed more routers than we can count to determine the best of the best you can get. Go with the TP-Link Archer AX11000 if you want a lot of bang for your buck, or choose the ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 if you want lots of features at a higher price. The NETGEAR Nighthawk RAXE500 is the fastest router we’ve tested to date, but it ain’t cheap.

* Amazon.com Prices (as of 12/19/23 9:35 MST). Read full disclaimer .

Best overall—Google Chrome

Supports Google services
Includes tab group management
Outperforms other browsers in tests

Availability

Desktop: Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome OS
Mobile: iPhone , iPad , Android

Data this browser collects from you

And more (see App Privacy )

Chrome is the fastest and best web browser on Microsoft Windows and an excellent alternative to Safari on a Mac in terms of speed. However, you agree to Google’s excessive data collection in exchange for speed and convenience.

More about Google Chrome

Google Chrome is the fastest web browser available for Windows machines. It surpasses the competition in three out of four tests and outranks Microsoft Edge in all but one test.

On Apple Mac, Chrome is a heavy hitter in performance, outranking Safari in two out of four tests . It’s a good alternative to Safari, but Chrome’s data collection issues are a little disconcerting. If you’re worried about how Google uses your data, Safari or Microsoft Edge may be your better alternative.

Still, despite privacy concerns, Chrome is a great browser overall if you use Google’s services. It’s probably the ideal default browser if you shift between Windows, Android, and Apple devices.

Supports a huge extensions library
Syncs across devices
Collects lots of data
Uses lots of memory

Best for security—Mozilla Firefox

Ranks the lowest for speed in tests
Desktop: Windows, Mac, Linux
Contact info

If you want the best internet browser that prioritizes security over data collection, Firefox is your best bet. However, it’s not the fastest browser available.

More about Mozilla Firefox

Mozilla’s Firefox browser isn’t known for speed. It falls into last place in most of our tests for Windows and Mac, and that’s okay. Firefox is more about security features than speed, which is ideal if you’re more concerned about blocking malware than loading pages in a flash.

Firefox received a facelift in 2021. Mozilla redesigned the tabs, prompts, menus, and overall look, giving Firefox a new modern interface. Under the hood, Firefox strives to keep you safe online with tools like DNS-over-HTTPS , which encrypts browser requests versus sending the information in plaintext.

Want to improve your home network’s security?

Be sure to check out our list of the best routers for security . We also offer a guide on how to keep your router secure if you don’t need a new one.

Protects against spyware
Blocks almost all pop-ups
Consumes high memory
Falls behind other browsers in speed

Best for customization—Vivaldi

Mobile: Android

Vivaldi is great for customizing your browsing experience, but it doesn’t match the speed of Chrome or Safari.

More about Vivaldi

Vivaldi breathes new life into the tired, repetitive web browser design. Here, you can customize the start page, create and use a custom theme, customize and move the menu, customize the toolbar, and so on. You can also assign browser commands to keyboard shortcuts, map commands to gestures, and assign quick commands to the Function keys.

In terms of speed, the Vivaldi browser isn’t the fastest on the planet—at least, not yet. It’s the youngest in the batch, so there’s room for improvement. It ranks fourth in all four tests we run on Windows, while its performance jumps between third and last in the same tests on Mac.

That said, Vivaldi is an excellent middle-ground browser in terms of performance.

Offers plenty of customization
Syncs data across devices
Lacks iPhone, iPad versions

Best for social media—Opera

Includes a built-in VPN client
Includes social tools
Verifies all websites
Diagnostics

Opera is a good web browser if you want a built-in VPN client and social tools. It provides middle-ground performance in terms of speed.

More about Opera

The Opera browser is great if you want built-in social network tools. The sidebar includes shortcuts to Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram, and three others you can pin to the browser window.

Opera also supports two VPN services: Free VPN and VPN Pro . The “pro” version costs $7.99 per month and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Our FAQ explains the differences between the two services.

As for performance, Opera is the third-fastest browser in our tests for Windows , falling behind Chrome and Microsoft Edge. It has a similar performance level on our MacBook, falling behind Safari, Chrome, and Microsoft Edge in our four tests. Opera has a “battery saver” mode that reduces background activity and pauses animations, but we verified it was disabled before running our tests.

Includes built-in social tools
Loads some websites incorrectly
Updates less frequently than Chrome

Best for Mac—Apple Safari

Provides a clean privacy report
Supports extensions
Displays tab previews
Competes with Chrome in speed on Mac
Desktop: Mac
Mobile: iPhone, iPad
Nitro, WebKit

Safari is the best browser for Macs, hands down. Stick with Safari if you also have an iPhone or iPad. However, if you use other platforms like Windows and Android, Chrome is the better multiplatform solution—if you can ignore Chrome’s data collection woes.

More about Apple Safari

Safari is an excellent example of how Apple optimizes its software for Macs. It’s fast, simply designed, and somewhat customizable. It supports Chrome extensions, tab previews for power users, and easy translations using the menu bar. And while we will always recommend Firefox as the best browser for security , Safari’s privacy report panel lists every website that tracks you across the internet.

The drawback with Safari is that you can’t get it on anything but Apple devices. That means we could measure its performance only on our MacBook, so there are no numbers for Windows-based PCs. That said, Safari and Chrome duke it out for the fastest browser, both taking the top spots in two out of four tests. If you want speed, either browser will do.

Runs superfast on Macs
Uses low memory
Isn’t available outside Apple’s ecosystem
Has a limited extensions library

Best for Windows—Microsoft Edge

Stacks tabs vertically
Groups websites into Collections
Supports Dolby Audio and 4K
Competes with Chrome in speed on Windows
Desktop: Windows, Mac
Browsing history

Bottom line

Microsoft Edge is a great native browser for Microsoft Windows and a good alternative to Safari on a Mac if you need a browser that runs outside Apple’s ecosystem.

More about Microsft Edge

The original Edge browser was a clunky mess despite Microsoft’s good intentions. It used the company’s in-house EdgeHTML engine and really couldn’t compete with Chrome. Microsoft scrapped its proprietary engine in early 2020 and chose Chromium instead, the browser foundation used in Chrome, Opera, Vivaldi, Brave, and more.

Now, Microsoft Edge is highly competitive in terms of speed. On Windows, it gives Chrome a run for its money, falling just a hair behind Google’s browser in three of four of our tests . On our MacBook, Chrome and Microsoft Edge are nearly identical in performance, both falling behind Safari.

Synchronizes across devices
Includes a PDF viewer
Lacks a version for Linux
Collects your browser history

Are you troubleshooting speed issues?

If you have connection problems and slow speeds, your web browser may not be the issue. We provide several guides to help you get back up to speed.

7 Reasons Why Your Internet is Slow (And How To Fix It)
Improve Your Wi-Fi in 10 Simple Steps
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How to Check Your Internet Speed

Which web browsers are the fastest?

To determine the fastest browser on our list, we ran four different tests three times per browser, determined the average, and compared the results.

On Windows, Chrome tested as the fastest browser, followed by Microsoft Edge .

On Mac, Safari and Chrome shared the top spot as the fastest browser, followed by Microsoft Edge .

In all tests, Firefox was the slowest browser on our list.

See the complete test results in the Methodology section .

Browser specs and features

A web browser is software that downloads data from a remote server and pieces it all together on your screen. It’s your interactive window to the World Wide Web, a view that exists only when you open a tab and enter an address. All browsers provide this basic function, but there are five elements you should keep in mind while considering your browser options.

You want a browser that loads pages quickly and can run in-browser apps without slowing you down. A browser should have a relatively small footprint in your system memory, so it doesn’t affect the performance of your other programs and apps while you surf the internet.

Security and privacy

A browser should make secure connections to websites. They should also provide means to block malicious advertisements, cross-site trackers, cryptominers, and fingerprinters. Users should have tools to block and delete cookies, secure their passwords, and use the browser without worrying about how it collects their data.

Learn more about the best internet browsers for security .

Customization

While you don’t want your window to the internet framed with a clunky interface, it’s a nice bonus to add a personal touch. Most of the browsers on our list provide means for customization.

For example, you can apply a theme in Chrome obtained from the Chrome Web Store . You can create themes in Vivaldi, reposition the menu, or create your own menu.

Compatibility

The best browser should be compatible with the latest internet standards, like HTML5 and WebGL . A good way to benchmark a browser’s compatibility is to use the HTML5 Test website or AnTuTu’s HTML5 Test online utility. Plus, you don’t want to install a browser that can’t access all the modern functions of a website, like web apps.

Easy navigation

While customization is great, you want a browser that’s easy to use. Most browsers we list here are just that, with the address bar headlining your window to the internet. Menus should be tucked away and easily accessible. Settings should be just a click away, and bookmarks should be easy to save and load.

Our verdict: Google Chrome is the best web browser

Google Chrome is fast and available on nearly every platform. It’s our top pick in speed, as it goes head-to-head with Safari on our MacBook and Microsoft Edge on Windows. It’s also a firm alternative if you don’t want to use those native browsers.

But Microsoft Edge is an excellent third-place browser that’s accessible on nearly all platforms. It’s almost as fast as Chrome and Safari and includes a few standout features you can’t get with most browsers, like 4K Netflix streaming.

However, if you want the most secure browser on the planet, Firefox is the way to go, although it’s the slowest browser on our list.

Microsoft Windows

We use a Lenovo ThinkPad with Intel’s Core i7-10850H 6-core processor, 16GB of system memory, and a 500GB SSD for these tests.

Chrome is our biggest performer, taking the top spot in three out of four tests. Microsoft Edge always comes in at a close second, save for one test where it switches seats with Chrome. Firefox is our lowest performer of the browser batch.

JetStream 2

This test measures how fast a browser loads data and how quickly it executes code—higher numbers are better.

Speedometer

This test measures the responsiveness of web applications by simulating user input.

Basemark Web 3.0

This tool performs 20 tests—map scaling, drawing, and so on—in one sitting. It’s also popular for testing a laptop’s battery life, as it loops through all tests until the battery dies.

MotionMark 1.2

This test benchmarks the browser’s capability to render and animate complex scenes within a set frame rate.

Apple macOS

We use a 2018 MacBook Air (A1392) with Intel’s Core i5-8210Y 2-core CPU, 8GB of system memory, and a 128GB SSD for these tests. There’s a huge processor difference between this machine and the Lenovo notebook, so we rerun the benchmarks to compare Safari against the competition on the same Core i5 CPU.

Overall, Safari and Chrome go head to head for the fastest browser. Safari grabs the top spot in two tests, while Chrome dominates in the other two. Microsoft Edge is the best alternative to Safari and Chrome, while Firefox has the lowest performance of the six.

This tool performs 20 tests—map scaling, drawing, and so on—in one sitting.

Have a better, faster, more secure experience with your internet.

By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy & Terms and Conditions .

FAQ about the best web browsers

Internet browser vs. web browser: what's the difference.

Although we tend to use the term, there’s no such thing as an “internet browser.” The internet is a global network of cables, servers, and switches—it’s the hardware needed to deliver information to your eyeballs. A browser is software that accesses software—the World Wide Web in this case.

In other words, we connect to the internet and use the web. But since “internet” is easier to read and write than “World Wide Web,” we typically stick with the former term.

What is a virtual private network (VPN)?

A virtual private network creates a secure, private connection between your device and the destination. It requires software installed on your device that encrypts your data and establishes a direct, encrypted connection to a remote VPN server. The server then decrypts your data and sends it as plaintext to the destination.

Overall, a VPN prevents the destination from seeing your geological location, IP address, and operating system.

Want to see how a VPN affects your speed?

Run our internet speed test with a VPN enabled. After that, rerun the test with the VPN disabled and then compare the results.

Run a Speed Test

What is a Device ID?

A Device Identifier (ID) is a unique string of numbers derived from other hardware-identifying numbers stored on your device. Browsers use this information to identify your device.

What is a User ID?

A User Identifier (User ID) is a unique profile created by the browser and stored locally as a cookie. This profile includes information such as your processor, storage, screen resolution, and operating system.

What is Chromium?

Chromium is Google’s free, open-source code provided to all internet browser developers. These developers can compile Google’s code with proprietary components and unique designs (Microsoft Edge) or compile the code “as is” (Chromium).

What is HTML5?

HTML5 is the fifth generation of HyperText Markup Language (HTML), the programming language that creates websites you see in your browser. There are three components in HTML5: Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) that dictate how web page elements are displayed, JavaScript that executes interactive components, and HTML code that brings it all together.

HTML5 eliminates the need for browser plugins, like Adobe Flash, Silverlight, and Java.

What is WebGL?

Web Graphics Library (or WebGL ) is an application programming interface (API) that allows a browser to render 2D and 3D graphics. These elements are written in JavaScript and OpenGL ES for the web and are executed on your device’s graphics cores, not your processor. WebGL eliminates the need for a browser plugin, eliminating security risks and providing better animation.

To see WebGL in action, visit the Get WebGL website to view a cube rotating in your browser without any additional software.

What is HTTPS?

Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (or HTTPS) is a secure version of the application layer protocol used to deliver HTML files, video, and more across the internet.

In a nutshell, the browser (client) sends a request to the server hosting a website. In turn, the server sends the appropriate files to your device that are pieced together within your browser. These files reside on your device as cache.

Browsers and servers that support HTTPS communicate using the Transport Layer Security cryptographic protocol to encrypt the connection between the website and the browser, not the actual data. This encrypted connection prevents eavesdroppers from obtaining your data but only while it’s en route.

What is DNS-over-HTTPS?

DNS-over-HTTPS is a means of sending a browser query over a secure connection.

Short for Domain Name System, DNS essentially translates alphabetic URLs into proper numeric ones. For instance, when you type “google.com” into your address bar, a DNS service consults its address book and sees that the numerical address is 172.217.2.110. It then sends your browser request accordingly.

Typically this request speeds along the internet highways as plaintext. A secure connection doesn’t happen until the website responds to your browser—a handshake, if you will. With DNS-over-HTTPS, a compatible browser sends your query to a compatible DNS server using an encrypted connection. This connection prevents eavesdroppers from viewing your browsing habits.

Free VPN vs. VPN Pro: What’s the difference?

Opera Software launched VPN Pro in May 2022. In a nutshell, with VPN Pro , you get full device-wide coverage on six devices, a network with 3,000+ servers, 30+ unique locations, two-factor authentication, and live chat support. Here’s a chart showing what you get with both services:

Does Incognito Mode hide you from Google and other services?

No, Chrome’s Incognito Mode feature doesn’t completely protect you. It’s only meant to hide your activities from other people using the same device and browser. Google even confirmed in a court filing in March 2021 that users are not “invisible” when they open an Incognito Mode window. The company said user activity might be visible to websites and third-party analytics and ads.

What happened to Safari for Windows?

Safari 5.1.7 was the last version released on Windows. While you can find links to download the browser, Apple discontinued Windows support in 2012. We do not recommend this browser for Windows users due to the lack of updates and customer support.

What happened to Internet Explorer?

Microsoft retired Internet Explorer on June 15, 2022, but it still lives on in Microsoft Edge as IE Mode. To enable it for legacy websites, click the Settings and more button in the top right corner of Microsoft Edge, followed by Settings > Default browser > Allow sites to be reloaded in Internet Explorer mode . Select Allow on the drop-down menu to enable IE Mode.

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Author - Kevin Parrish

Kevin Parrish has more than a decade of experience working as a writer, editor, and product tester. He began writing about computer hardware and soon branched out to other devices and services such as networking equipment, phones and tablets, game consoles, and other internet-connected devices. His work has appeared in Tom’s Hardware, Tom's Guide, Maximum PC, Digital Trends, Android Authority, How-To Geek, Lifewire, and others. At HighSpeedInternet.com, he focuses on network equipment testing and review.

Editor - Cara Haynes

Cara Haynes has been editing and writing in the digital space for seven years, and she's edited all things internet for HighSpeedInternet.com for five years. She graduated with a BA in English and a minor in editing from Brigham Young University. When she's not editing, she makes tech accessible through her freelance writing for brands like Pluralsight. She believes no one should feel lost in internet land and that a good internet connection significantly extends your life span.

person gaming on computer hearing headset

Apple Intelligence Preview

AI for the rest of us.

Coming in beta this fall *

Static image of multiple iPhones showing Apple Intelligence features.

Built into your iPhone, iPad, and Mac to help you write, express yourself, and get things done effortlessly.

Draws on your personal context while setting a brand-new standard for privacy in AI.

Write with intelligent new tools. Everywhere words matter.

Apple Intelligence powers new Writing Tools, which help you find just the right words virtually everywhere you write. With enhanced language capabilities, you can summarize an entire lecture in seconds, get the short version of a long group thread, and minimize unnecessary distractions with prioritized notifications.

Explore new features for writing, focus, and communication.

UI for Writing Tools with a text field to enter prompts, buttons for Proofread and Rewrite, different tones of writing voice, and options for summarize, key points, table, and list

Transform how you communicate using intelligent Writing Tools that can proofread your text, rewrite different versions until the tone and wording are just right, and summarize selected text with a tap. Writing Tools are available nearly everywhere you write, including third-party apps.

Notifications list on an iPhone highlights Most Important at the top of the stack

Priority notifications appear at the top of the stack, letting you know what to pay attention to at a glance. And notifications are summarized, so you can scan them faster.

iPhone shows inbox in Mail app with important messages at the top and highlighted a different color

Priority messages in Mail elevate time-sensitive messages to the top of your inbox — like an invitation that has a deadline today or a check-in reminder for your flight this afternoon.

An email in the Mail app is shown with a summary you can read at the top.

Tap to reveal a summary of a long email in the Mail app and cut to the chase. You can also view summaries of email right from your inbox.

Phone app is shown with a new record function on a live call. A second iPhone shows a summary of the call based on live audio transcription.

Just hit record in the Notes or Phone apps to capture audio recordings and transcripts. Apple Intelligence generates summaries of your transcripts, so you can get to the most important information at a glance.

iPhone with Reduce Notifications Focus enabled shows a single notification marked "maybe important."

Reduce Interruptions is an all-new Focus that understands the content of your notifications and shows you the ones that might need immediate attention, like a text about picking up your child from daycare later today.

Smart Reply options in the Mail app are shown on an iPhone.

Use a Smart Reply in Mail to quickly draft an email response with all the right details. Apple Intelligence can identify questions you were asked in an email and offer relevant selections to include in your response. With a few taps you’re ready to send a reply with key questions answered.

Delightful images created just for you.

Apple Intelligence enables delightful new ways to express yourself visually. Create fun, original images and brand-new Genmoji that are truly personal to you. Turn a rough sketch into a related image that complements your notes with Image Wand. And make a custom memory movie based on the description you provide.

Custom images are shown in the Message app and the Image Wand feature in Notes is shown on an iPad.

Create expressive images, unique Genmoji, and custom memory movies.

UI of the Image Playground experience shows a colorful image of a brain surrounded by classical instruments and music notation with suggestions for more elements to add to the image

Produce fun, original images in seconds with the Image Playground experience right in your apps. Create an entirely new image based on a description, suggested concepts, and even a person from your Photos library. You can easily adjust the style and make changes to match a Messages thread, your Freeform board, or a slide in Keynote.

Image Playground app is shown on iPad. A custom image in the center is surrounded by different ideas and keywords used to make it.

Experiment with different concepts and try out image styles like animation, illustration, and sketch in the dedicated Image Playground app . Create custom images to share with friends in other apps or on social media.

Preview of a custom Genmoji of someone named Vee based on the prompt, race car driver

Make a brand-new Genmoji right in the keyboard to match any conversation. Provide a description to see a preview, and adjust your description until it’s perfect. You can even pick someone from your Photos library and create a Genmoji that looks like them.

A hand holding Apple Pencil draws a circle around a sketch in the Notes app on iPad.

Image Wand can transform your rough sketch into a related image in the Notes app. Use your finger or Apple Pencil to draw a circle around your sketch, and Image Wand will analyze the content around it to produce a complementary visual. You can even circle an empty space, and Image Wand will use the surrounding context to create a picture.

Cover of a custom new memory based on the description entered in the text field in the Photos app

Create a custom memory movie of the story you want to see, right in Photos. Enter a description, and Apple Intelligence finds the best photos and videos that match. It then crafts a storyline with unique chapters based on themes it identifies and arranges your photos into a movie with its own narrative arc.

A grid of photos based on the search prompt Katie with stickers on her face

Search for photos and videos in the Photos app simply by describing what you’re looking for. Apple Intelligence can even find a particular moment in a video clip that fits your search description and take you right to it.

A hand taps an object in the background of a photo on iPhone to highlight what to clean up

Remove distractions in your photos with the Clean Up tool in the Photos app. Apple Intelligence identifies background objects so you can remove them with a tap and perfect your shot — while staying true to the original image.

The start of a new era for Siri.

Siri draws on Apple Intelligence for all-new superpowers. With an all-new design, richer language understanding, and the ability to type to Siri whenever it’s convenient for you, communicating with Siri is more natural than ever. Equipped with awareness of your personal context, the ability to take action in and across apps, and product knowledge about your devices’ features and settings, Siri will be able to assist you like never before.

Mac, iPad, and iPhone are shown with new Siri features powered by Apple Intelligence

Discover an even more capable, integrated, personal Siri.

A light, colorful glow is barely visible around the edge of an iPhone showing the home screen

Siri has an all-new design that’s even more deeply integrated into the system experience, with an elegant, glowing light that wraps around the edge of your screen.

A text field at the top of keyboard in iPhone says Ask Siri

With a double tap on the bottom of your iPhone or iPad screen, you can type to Siri from anywhere in the system when you don’t want to speak out loud.

An iPhone is shown with step-by-step guidelines on how to schedule a text message to send later

Tap into the expansive product knowledge Siri has about your devices’ features and settings. You can ask questions when you’re learning how to do something new on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and Siri can give you step-by-step directions in a flash.

Siri, set an alarm for — oh wait no, set a timer for 10 minutes. Actually, make that 5.

Richer language understanding and an enhanced voice make communicating with Siri even more natural. And when you refer to something you mentioned in a previous request, like the location of a calendar event you just created, and ask ”What will the weather be like there?” Siri knows what you’re talking about.

A notification in the Apple TV+ app reminds you that a contact shared a show recommendation with you

Apple Intelligence empowers Siri with onscreen awareness , so it can understand and take action with things on your screen. If a friend texts you their new address, you can say “Add this address to their contact card,” and Siri will take care of it.

Snippets of information like calendar events, photos, and notes shows the many sources Siri can draw from

Awareness of your personal context enables Siri to help you in ways that are unique to you. Can’t remember if a friend shared that recipe with you in a note, a text, or an email? Need your passport number while booking a flight? Siri can use its knowledge of the information on your device to help find what you’re looking for, without compromising your privacy.

Photos library is shown on an iPhone along with a search description. A second iPhone is open to a single photo favorited based on the search. A third iPhone shows the photo incorporated into a note in the Notes app.

Seamlessly take action in and across apps with Siri. You can make a request like “Send the email I drafted to April and Lilly” and Siri knows which email you’re referencing and which app it’s in. And Siri can take actions across apps, so after you ask Siri to enhance a photo for you by saying “Make this photo pop,” you can ask Siri to drop it in a specific note in the Notes app — without lifting a finger.

Great powers come with great privacy.

Apple Intelligence is designed to protect your privacy at every step. It’s integrated into the core of your iPhone, iPad, and Mac through on-device processing. So it’s aware of your personal information without collecting your personal information. And with groundbreaking Private Cloud Compute, Apple Intelligence can draw on larger server-based models, running on Apple silicon, to handle more complex requests for you while protecting your privacy.

Private Cloud Compute

Your data is never stored
Used only for your requests
Verifiable privacy promise

ChatGPT, seamlessly integrated.

With ChatGPT from OpenAI integrated into Siri and Writing Tools, you get even more expertise when it might be helpful for you — no need to jump between tools. Siri can tap into ChatGPT for certain requests, including questions about photos or documents. And with Compose in Writing Tools, you can create and illustrate original content from scratch.

You control when ChatGPT is used and will be asked before any of your information is shared. Anyone can access ChatGPT for free, without creating an account. ChatGPT subscribers can connect accounts to access paid features within these experiences.

The Compose in Writing Tools feature is shown on a MacBook

New possibilities for your favorite apps.

New App Intents, APIs, and frameworks make it incredibly easy for developers to integrate system-level features like Siri, Writing Tools, and Image Playground into your favorite apps.

Learn more about developing for Apple Intelligence

Apple Intelligence is compatible with these devices.

Apple Intelligence is free to use and will initially be available in U.S. English. Coming in beta this fall. *

iPhone 15 Pro Max A17 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro A17 Pro
iPad Pro M1 and later
iPad Air M1 and later
MacBook Air M1 and later
MacBook Pro M1 and later
iMac M1 and later
Mac mini M1 and later
Mac Studio M1 Max and later
Mac Pro M2 Ultra

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To use Teams, you need a Microsoft 365 account with a Business or Enterprise Microsoft 365 license plan. For more information, see How do I get access to Microsoft Teams?

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by Jason Snell & Dan Moren

This Week's Sponsor

June 7, 2024 9:00 AM PT

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My thanks to Magic Lasso Adblock for sponsoring Six Colors this week.

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IMAGES

How to use Safari private browsing on Mac, iPhone & iPad
How to enable and use private browsing in Safari for iOS
How to Use Private Browsing on iPhone Safari Browser
Private browsing in Safari: All you need to know
How to set up private browsing in Safari
What is private browsing? How to use it on any browser

VIDEO

Safari is AI Now!
SAFARI BROWSER IS DONE FOR! 👀🫣
Meet Safari AI: The Smartest Way to Surf the Web @airuntheshow
Obfuscation Techniques For Location Privacy and Private Web Search
Fix Brave Private Web Browser App Black Screen Problem Solutions in Android Phone
Safari is AI Now!

COMMENTS

Browse the web privately in Safari on iPhone
Open the Safari app on your iPhone. Tap . Swipe right on the tab bar at the bottom of the screen until Private Browsing opens, then tap Unlock. To exit Private Browsing, tap , then swipe left to open a Tab Group from the menu at the bottom of your screen. The websites you have open in Private Browsing stay open, and Private Browsing locks.
Turn Private Browsing on or off on your iPhone
In iOS 17. Open Safari on your iPhone. Tap the Tabs button. Swipe to the Private tab group button, then tap the tab that you want to open. For additional privacy, you can choose to lock Private Browsing when you're not using it. When you lock your device, your private tabs in Safari will also lock. Then, when you unlock your device again, just ...
Browse privately in Safari on Mac
In the Safari app on your Mac, choose Safari > Settings, then click General. Click the "Safari opens with" pop-up menu, then choose "A new private window.". If you don't see this option, choose Apple menu > System Settings, click Desktop & Dock in the sidebar, then turn on "Close windows when quitting an application" on the right.
How to Use Private Browsing in Safari on Mac, iPhone, or iPad
Open the Safari app on your iPhone or iPad, then tap the Tabs button in the bottom-right corner to view your open pages. In the bottom-left corner, tap Private to enable private browsing mode. Then tap the Add ( +) button to open a private browsing window. Tap the Tabs button in the bottom-right corner.
How to Use Safari Private Browsing on an iPhone or iPad
To activate Private Browsing, first launch Safari. If you don't see the toolbar at the top of the screen, tap anywhere once to reveal it. Then tap on the "New Window" button in the upper-right corner. On Safari's window management screen, tap the "Private" button in the upper-right corner. After Private Mode is enabled, tap the plus (+) button ...
How to Turn on Safari Private Browsing on iPhone: A Step-by-Step Guide
Open the Safari app, tap the tabs button (which looks like two overlapping squares), then tap "Private" to turn on Private Browsing Mode. Now, Safari won't remember the pages you visit, your search history, or your AutoFill information. After you complete this action, your browsing activity will not be saved in Safari.
Your Guide to Private Browsing in Safari
The steps to enter Private Browsing mode are nearly identical on an iPhone and iPad. The only difference is that the tab icon is at the bottom of the screen on iOS and the top on iPadOS. Long-press the tab icon (two overlapping pages) on the bottom-right (iPhone) or top-right (iPad) of your screen. Tap the New Private Tab menu item.
How to use Private Browsing in Safari on iPhone, iPad, and Mac
Open Safari on your iPhone. Tap and hold the Tabs button. Tap [number] Tabs in the pop-up menu. You may also exit out of incognito mode in Safari on iOS 17 by completing these steps: Open Safari on your iPhone. Tap the Tabs button. Tap [number] Tabs or Start Page to show the Tab Groups list. Tap Private, then tap Done.
How to use Private Browsing in Safari on iPhone
When you use Private Browsing, Safari won't remember your search history, the pages you visit, or your AutoFill information. Private Browsing also blocks som...
How to Use Private Browsing in Safari
1. Tap the Pages button, which is shaped as two squares in Safari's menu. 2. Tap Private. 3. Tap the Search field to search for a site to visit. 4. Tap Pages then Private again to turn off private ...
How to Enable or Disable Private Browsing in Safari iPhone ...
Private Browsing Mode in Safari. Open Safari on your iPhone and tap on the tabs icon showing at the bottom right corner. Swipe the "Private" button (right side of the normal Start Page) and start using the Private mode. Private Mode in Safari iPhone. On Mac, go to "File > New Private Window" menu or press "Command + Shift + N ...
How to use private web browsing on Mac
In Safari, you open a new private window by Choose File > New Private Window (Shift + Cmd + N). You'll now be viewing a window in private browsing mode. Safari won't remember any browsing or ...
How to Turn On Private Browsing in Safari for iOS
Launch the Safari app and tap the Tabs icon, indicated by two overlapping boxes in the bottom-right corner. Tap Private at the bottom of the screen. Tap plus ( +) to open a new tab. You are now in Private Browsing. Safari will not save any browsing history, cookies, or other user data during your session. To return to standard browsing mode ...
Private browsing in Safari: All you need to know
Safari, just like every other web browser, keeps a history of everywhere you've been online, including every link, login, and email. For a number of reasons, you might prefer to keep these private. To do that, you need to switch to private browsing in Safari. When security is important, CleanMyMac X is a valuable ally. Use private browsing ...
How to use Safari private browsing to boost your ...
Open Safari on your iPad with iPadOS 15.0 or later. Hit the sidebar icon near the top-left corner to open the Safari sidebar. From the Safari sidebar on the lefthand side, choose the option labeled Private. Doing so creates a new tab in a group dubbed "Private". You can open multiple private tabs in this tab group.
How to Search Privately on Safari
This includes your search engines and web browser. Private Search Engine. By default, Safari includes DuckDuckGo as a built-in option, ... By combining a private search on Safari with the built-in privacy features, you can enjoy a more secure and private browsing experience. Private Browser. Safari does a decent job of protecting your data, ...
How to Quickly Switch Your Safari Browsing to Private in iOS 15
In Safari, tap and hold the Tabs button in the bottom right. From here, you can use the " Private " option to switch over to the Private Browsing Mode. If you want to open a new private tab ...
How to Use Safari's Private Browsing Mode
To enable Private Browsing in Safari, follow these steps. Open Safari on your iPhone or iPad, tap the Pages icon (consisting of two squares) to bring up the open tabs view, and then tap the ...
Safari's Private Browsing Mode Just Made Your Private Tabs Way More
Once you close a Private Browsing tab, Safari forgets the pages you visited, your search history, your AutoFill information, and any new cookies or website data from the session. But incognito browsing in Safari has even more protection available with the iOS 17 , iPadOS 17 , and macOS 14 Sonoma software updates.
How to Turn on Incognito Mode in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari and Opera
Alternatively, from the Chrome menu, select File > New Incognito Window. Or, press Ctrl + Shift + N (Windows) or Command + Shift + N (Mac). A window opens, explaining the Chrome Incognito mode. To open a link in an Incognito window, right-click it (or press Control + Click on a Mac), and then select Open Link in Incognito Window .
Turn Private Browsing on or off on your iPad
Safari won't remember the pages you visit, your search history, or your AutoFill information. How to turn on Private Browsing. Open Safari on your iPad. Touch and hold the Tabs button. Tap New Private Tab. While Private Browsing is on, the Safari address bar appears black or dark instead of white or gray, and the buttons are black instead of blue.
How to Enable Private Browsing on Any Web Browser
To do so, first tap the new tab icon in the lower-right corner of the new tab screen. Now, tap "Private" in the lower-left corner. Once activated, the browser screen will turn grey and will tell you that you're in private browsing mode. To exit, simply tap the "Done" button in the lower-right corner of the screen.
Private Search Engine
Brave Search offers private and secure web searching, ensuring user data remains confidential.
The incognito myth: how private browsing really works
How incognito mode works. In private mode, your browser doesn't save your browsing history, remember information you enter in web forms, or store the graphics and code of the websites you visit in its cache. The tiny text files called cookies in which websites save your settings and preferences are only stored for as long as the private ...
Free Private Browser
Built to protect your privacy on the web! Complete with a built-in private search engine. Download Download version: Install ghostery Private Browser on other systems . Mac Linux iOS Android. GHOSTERY PRIVATE BROWSER ... Apple has Safari on all their devices and to open a private browser window you need to click on the "File" menu in the top ...
6 Most Secure Browsers to Stay Safe and Protect Your Privacy
Firefox offers a fantastic combination of good security options and privacy practices. Plus, the company is big on privacy. As a result, it's made Firefox one of the browser's major selling points to help it compete against options such as Chrome, Safari, and Edge. 4.
The Best Web Browsers of 2024
Safari grabs the top spot in two tests, while Chrome dominates in the other two. Microsoft Edge is the best alternative to Safari and Chrome, while Firefox has the lowest performance of the six. JetStream 2. This test measures how fast a browser loads data and how quickly it executes code—higher numbers are better.
Apple Intelligence Preview
Apple Intelligence is designed to protect your privacy at every step. It's integrated into the core of your iPhone, iPad, and Mac through on-device processing. So it's aware of your personal information without collecting your personal information. And with groundbreaking Private Cloud Compute, Apple Intelligence can draw on larger server ...
Use Microsoft Teams on the web
Internet Explorer 11 will remain a supported browser. Internet Explorer 11 is a component of the Windows operating system and follows the Lifecycle Policy for the product on which it is installed. Find Teams on the web at https://teams.microsoft.com. To use Teams, you need a Microsoft 365 account with a Business or Enterprise Microsoft 365 ...
Magic Lasso Adblock: incredibly private and secure Safari web browsing
Designed from the ground up to protect your privacy, Magic Lasso blocks all intrusive ads, trackers and annoyances in Safari - stopping you from being followed by ads around the web. Along with respecting your privacy, the app also includes best-in-class YouTube ad blocking to block all YouTube ads. With over 5,000 five star reviews; it's ...