What private browsing does and doesn't do
Incognito windows keep no local history — and change nothing else.
In plain words
A private window keeps no list on this device. It does not hide you from apps on the phone, the Wi-Fi, or anyone watching the screen.
What it does
A private or incognito window doesn't save history, cookies, or form entries after you close it. On a shared device, that means the browser itself won't show where you went.
What it doesn't do
Private browsing does not hide your activity from the network you're on, from your internet provider, from the sites you visit, or from software installed on the device. Downloads and bookmarks made in a private window are kept. If someone can watch the screen — in person or with monitoring software — private browsing changes nothing.
One more trace
Opening a private window can itself be logged by parental-control and monitoring tools, and some report it. If the device may be monitored, a device the other person cannot access at all — a library computer, a trusted friend's phone — is safer than any browser mode.
What this does NOT protect against
- Spyware or parental-control software on the device
- Network, router, and internet-provider records
- Downloads, which remain after the window closes
- Shoulder-surfing — the screen is as visible as ever
Last reviewed 2026-06-01. Technology changes; if something here looks different on your device, trust what your device shows.