How to Turn off Incognito Mode: A Step-by-Step Guide

With the rise of online tracking and data breaches, privacy has become a growing concern for internet users. Incognito mode is a feature that can help users keep their browsing activity private by not recording their history, cookies, or other personal data. 

Even though this feature can be helpful in some circumstances, there may be times when you want to turn off incognito mode. For instance, you might want to save a copy of your browsing history for later use or stop others from using the incognito mode on a shared device.

Fortunately, turning off incognito mode is a quick and easy process that only requires a few simple steps. You can find a step-by-step tutorial on how to turn off incognito mode in this blog post. 

Additionally, we’ll talk about some other strategies for blocking incognito mode, like using third-party extensions or turning on parental controls. Finally, we’ll offer some pointers and advice for maintaining your privacy and staying safe online.

Privacy is a universal right, and this guide will assist you in taking control of your browsing history and safeguarding your personal information, whether you are a privacy-conscious user, business owner, or worried parent. You can browse the internet securely and at ease by following these easy steps and putting some best practices for online security into practice.

How to Turn Off Incognito Mode on Chrome?

On a Windows computer, a Registry addition can completely disable Chrome’s Incognito Mode. It sounds very complicated, but it’s absolutely easy:

• Close the Incognito browser window if you’ve entered incognito mode and simply exit it to resume regular browsing. Chrome will normally launch in public browsing mode after you restart it.

• Choose Start, then enter “CMD” in the search field.

• Run as Administrator can be chosen by right-clicking Command Prompt.

  

• Type REG ADD HKLMSOFTWAREPoliciesGoogleChrome /v IncognitoModeAvailability /t REG_DWORD /d 1 in the Command Prompt window and hit Enter to complete the operation.

How to Turn Off Incognito Mode on Firefox?

Firefox’s built-in feature isn’t known as Incognito Mode. Instead, it’s Private Mode, though you can still turn it off.

• Launch Firefox.

• At the top right of the browser window, click the Hamburger Menu, then click Add-ons.

• In the search bar at the top of the page, type “private begone”.

• From the search engine results, choose Private Begone. With this add-on, Firefox’s Private Browsing will be completely disabled.

  

• Choose Add to Firefox.

  

• Select Add if the option labeled Add Private Begone pops up.

• Select “Okay, Got It” to finish the installation.

• Restart Firefox after shutting down any active instances of the browser. You shouldn’t be able to launch Firefox in a private window any longer.

How to Turn Off Incognito Mode on MS Edge?

The name of incognito mode in Microsoft Edge is “InPrivate mode,” and you will see this term in the browser.

• Click the blue “InPrivate” label in the top-right corner of the browser to close an open InPrivate window on Windows, Mac, or Linux.

  

After turning off InPrivate browsing, your browsing history will be saved in Microsoft Edge.

How to Turn Off Incognito Mode on Mac?

To turn off incognito mode on a Mac, follow these steps:

• Utilities can be selected from the Go menu by clicking the Finder icon in the Dock.

• Click to launch the Terminal app.

  

• Run the command line: defaults write com.google.chrome IncognitoModeAvailability -integer 1

• To make the changes effective, restart your Mac. 

Read more: Here’s How to Enable Dark Mode on Mac

How to Turn Off Incognito Mode on Android?

On Android, you can use the steps below to disable Incognito Mode:

• On your Android phone or tablet, launch the Google Chrome app.

• In the top right corner of the browser window, click the settings icon with three dots.

• To open a new tab, select “New tab” from the drop-down menu.

• To see all open tabs, tap on the square icon at the bottom right corner of the browser window.

• Next to the Incognito Mode tab, tap the icon with three dots.

  

• Choose “Close Incognito tabs” from the drop-down menu.

  

• If you want to close the Incognito Mode tabs, a prompt will ask you to confirm your decision. Tap “Close tabs” to confirm.

Your browsing history will be saved in Chrome on your Android device once you’ve closed the Incognito Mode tabs.

Read more: Is Android Less Secure Than iOS in 2023?

How to Turn Off Incognito Mode on iPhone/iPad?

These steps should be followed in order to disable Private Browsing on an iPhone or iPad, which is comparable to Chrome’s Incognito Mode:

• On your iPad or iPhone, launch the Safari app.

• The “Tabs” icon can be found in the browser window’s lower right corner.

• Click “Private” at the bottom of the screen.

  

• Press on any of the open tabs and press “Close other tabs” to make sure that you turn off incognito mode effectively.

  

Your browsing history will be saved in Safari on your iPhone or iPad after you have closed all private tabs and turned off Private Browsing. Simply repeat the procedure and tap “Private” to activate it once more if you want to use Private Browsing in the future.

How to Set Up Parental Controls to Disable Incognito Mode?

You can adhere to these general steps to configure parental controls to turn off Incognito mode on a shared computer:

Create a user account for your child: You can configure parental controls specifically for that account by setting up a separate user account for your child on the computer.

Enable parental controls: Enable parental controls and configure the desired restrictions for your child’s account in the computer’s settings or control panel. This usually entails limiting access to particular websites or applications, imposing time constraints, and blocking offensive content.

Disable Incognito Mode: There may be a setting that allows you to specifically disable Incognito mode in some parental control software or web browser settings. To stop your child from using Incognito mode while browsing the internet, enable this option.

Check the settings: To make sure the parental control settings are functioning as intended, log into your child’s account and test them.

It’s important to note that the procedures for turning off Incognito mode may vary slightly depending on the parental control software and web browser being used. You should also regularly check your child’s online activity and have an open and honest discussion with them about internet safety and acceptable online conduct.

Alternatives to Incognito Mode for Private Browsing

Here are a few alternatives to Incognito mode for private browsing that you might want to take into account:

VPN: A Virtual Private Network(VPN) is a service that encrypts your internet connection and conceals your IP address, making it possible to browse more securely and privately.

Tor Browser: The Tor browser is an open-source, free web browser that enables users to browse the internet anonymously by distributing their traffic among several servers, making it challenging for anyone to monitor their activity.

DuckDuckGo: A good option for browsing privately is DuckDuckGo, a search engine that does not keep track of your search history or personal information.

Privacy Badger: Privacy Badger is a browser extension that blocks third-party trackers and ads, assisting in the preservation of your online privacy.

Firefox Focus: Firefox Focus is a mobile browser that guards your privacy while browsing on your phone or tablet by automatically blocking ads, trackers, and other online trackers.

It’s important to remember that while these alternatives can offer a more private browsing experience, they might not completely avert your identity from prying eyes online or shield you from all kinds of tracking. Always use common sense and caution when browsing the internet, and be careful about the information you disclose online.

Conclusion: Taking Control of Your Browsing History

In conclusion, disabling Incognito mode might be required in some circumstances, like on shared computers or for parental control reasons. Depending on the web browser being used, a different procedure may be required to disable Incognito mode, but this process usually entails doing so in the preferences or settings menu of the browser. 

Other methods to turn off the Incognito mode include using parental control software or creating different user accounts on the computer. It’s important to keep in mind that Incognito mode does not completely guarantee privacy or anonymity, so you may need to take additional precautions to safeguard your online activity even though it can be a useful feature for private browsing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)