[Spectator@idowu]

While browsing the Internet every day, we’re often exposing our data and visibility to the public. But sometimes it becomes necessary to go hidden – perhaps to prevent being monitored, or to enhance anonymity for other personal reasons. Whatever your reasons are, (relatively) private browsing is possible on popular browsers – and it has been possible for close to two decades now.

Data and cookies from private browsing history don’t get saved on your device. As such, you successfully get to hide your IP address one way or the other.

For instance, private browsing comes with features that help you monitor the rank of your website on search engines like Google. So, if you don’t know already, you’ll learn how to browse in private mode on popular browsers after reading this article.

Private Mode Activation on Google Chrome

Google chrome offers private browsing in the form of incognito tabs. To open Google Chrome’s private tab on your mobile device – tap the menu icon at the top right-hand corner of your browser. Next, tap on New incognito tab – you’re now in a private tab.

To activate private browsing on PC, open-up Google Chrome and click on the menu icon at the top right-hand corner of your screen. Click on the New incognito tab, and a new private tab will be opened. You can also open an incognito tab on windows by simply pressing the Ctrl+Shift+N keys on your keyboard while in your Google chrome browser. Once in incognito mode, you’ll get notified that you’ve gone incognito. Close the tab to exit the incognito mode.

Mozilla Firefox

To activate private browsing on Mozilla Firefox, tap on the three menu icon tab at the top right-hand corner of your browser. Next, tap on New private window – this will take you to a new Window entirely where you’ll get a notification that says “you’re browsing privately”. However, instead of browsing privately on the same Window, Mozilla opens up a new one, so you can just close it as soon as you’re done browsing.

To activate private mode on your Android device, tap the menu icon at the top right-hand corner of your browser. Next, select the New private tab option. When you’re no more using the private tab, close it – this will take you back to the public tab. However, note that Mozilla Firefox also offers additional tracking protection – that at least adequately prevents your browsing pattern from being traced.

Opera Mini

To browse in private mode in Opera Mini on PC, on your keyboard, press the Ctrl+Shift+N keys if you’re a Windows user and Shift+N if you’re using Mac. An advantage of Opera Mini’s private browsing is that it gives you the option to connect your VPN for additional security.

On Android OS, once you launch the Opera mini browser, tap the tab menu at the base of your browser. Next, at the top of the browser, you’ll get options to either browse in “Normal” mode or “Private” mode. Select the private mode option. You’ll see a screen that says “Your secrets are safe”. You can close the private tab by clicking the tab options menu at the base of your browser, and finally close them by tapping the close option at the top right-hand corner of your browser.

Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer

Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer are default browsers on new and older Windows respectively. To browse privately on edge or explorer, click on the menu tab at the top right-hand corner of your browser – a new private tab then opens-up on a new window. Alternatively, you can press the Ctrl+Shift+P keys on your keyboard to do this.

To close the private tab, click on the close menu in your browser. Like other browsers, in Edge and Explorer, your browsing history, cookies and data are not saved on your device.

Safari Browser

To activate the private browsing mode of Safari on Windows – in the Safari browser, click on the settings icon at the top right-hand corner of your browser. Next, click on the Private browsing option. Safari will request for authorization to activate the private browsing option, click on ok. Unlike other browsers, the interface of the incognito tab of Safari is not different from the normal interface. However, to know if you’re in private mode, at the right-hand corner of your browser’s search console, you’ll see the text “Private” wrapped in a dark rectangle.

To activate Safari’s private mode on iPhones, tap the “new tab” option at the base of your browser and tick the private tab option.

To turn-off private mode, click on the Private notification box, and click on ok to confirm your exit.

UC Browser

UC browser is a popular web browser for androids. Some still prefer to use it on PCs. To activate UC’s private tab mode on your PC, open the UC browser and click on the three menu lines at the top right-hand corner of your browser. Next, select the incognito option to activate the private tab.

Once you’re in the private tab, you’ll get a bold notification that you’ve opened a UC incognito window.

UC browser is also cool for anonymous browsing as it hides your IP address and doesn’t save cookies and private data even when you’ve closed the browser. To close the incognito window, tap the “close” option at the top right-hand corner of your browser.

To activate UC’s private mode on Android OS, in the UC browser, tap the new tab menu at the lower-right corner of your browser (the tab just next to the home tab). At the base of the browser, to the left of the “+” tab, there is an incognito icon, tap that. Your browser’s interface will change to purple, while it indicates the incognito mode at the upper part of the browser. To exit incognito mode, repeat the process, and tap the incognito menu again – this will return the browser to the normal mode.

Note that browsing in private mode has not been verified to offer a 100% protection against desperate spies. However, it still provides a significant amount of privacy and protection. With private browsing, you can always log on to web platforms or social media as a different user without being noticed or recognized. Enjoy your browsing and stay safe.

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