How to Turn on Private Browsing on a Mac

In order to traverse the internet with the least amount of tracking, a private browser is a handy tool, albeit the specific functionalities differ depending on the browser you are using. Private surfing on Safari implies that websites will not be able to trace your activity across many websites, that your visited websites will not be saved or kept in iCloud, and that your recent searches will not display in the Smart Search area on the web browser.

Also keep in mind that when you visit websites, you will not have access to any saved AutoFill information, so keep this in mind if you need to log into a site. Given this, here’s how to open a private window on a Mac while browsing the web with the Safari web browser:

Read Also: How to Connect Ethernet to a Mac

How to Private Browsing mode on Mac

The process of being anonymous on a Mac takes no more than two clicks or the use of a single keyboard shortcut. The steps below will teach you how to open a Private Browsing window on your Mac, as well as how to close it after you’re finished.

How to go incognito on Mac

If you’re using a Mac, here’s how to turn on “incognito mode” in Safari: Click here.

1. When Safari is open on your Mac, click File from the top menu bar and then New Private Window from the drop-down menu. You may also use the keyboard shortcut Shift + Command + N to go to the desired location.

2. Safari will open a new Private Browsing window in the same window that it is now in. You’ll be able to know that you’re browsing in private mode because of the black background and Safari’s confirmation.

For each tab that you open within this Private Browsing window, a new private browsing session will be started; Safari will not transfer any browsing data across private tabs unless you expressly enable it to do so.

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FAQs

Why can’t I open a private tab on Safari Mac?

Your Restrictions password is the same as your Screen Time password, so you may use either one. Therefore, if the Safari Private indicator does not appear on your iPad or iPhone, it is most likely due to the Screen Time settings on your iPad or iPhone. Your device’s settings prevent you from accessing adult websites, thus it is not available to you at this time. That is something that you can easily correct.

Why is my Private Browsing button greyed out?

It turns out that the “Restrictions” setting in Safari’s tab-view is in charge of determining whether or not the “Private” mode link is active or inactive. Depending on whether you have website restrictions enabled, there is a possibility that the private mode link will be hidden from view.

How do I change the top bar on my Mac?

Use the Dock & Menu Bar System Preferences application on your Mac to customise the appearance of the Dock and to choose which items should appear in the menu bar and Control Center. To make changes to these options, go to the Apple menu > System Preferences, and then choose Dock & Menu Bar in the left-hand menu.