How to Disable Incognito Mode
Browsers don't offer an in-app switch to turn Incognito off, but you can remove it with a policy or restriction setting — useful for parental controls or shared computers. How strongly it's enforced varies by platform, as noted in each section below.
Chrome on Windows
- Press Win+R, type regedit, and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
- Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome (create the Google and Chrome keys if they don't exist).
- Create a DWORD (32-bit) value named IncognitoModeAvailability and set it to 1.
- Restart Chrome. The New Incognito window menu item disappears.
Editing the registry requires administrator rights. To undo, set the value back to 0 or delete it.
Chrome on Mac
- Open Terminal.
- Run: defaults write com.google.Chrome IncognitoModeAvailability -integer 1
- Quit and reopen Chrome.
This is a per-user preference, not an enforced policy — the same user can undo it by running the command with 0. For enforcement a standard user can't reverse, deploy the policy via a configuration profile or MDM.
Safari on iPhone and iPad
- Open Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Turn restrictions on, then tap Content Restrictions → Web Content.
- Choose Limit Adult Websites. Safari's Private mode is removed entirely.
Microsoft Edge on Windows
- In the Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge.
- Create a DWORD value named InPrivateModeAvailability and set it to 1.
- Restart Edge.
Android
Chrome on Android has no built-in policy switch for personal devices. For a child's account, Google Family Link supervision disables Incognito in Chrome automatically.
FAQ
- Can the person using the device just re-enable Incognito?
- It depends on the platform. The Windows registry policies require administrator rights to change. The Mac Terminal command is a per-user preference any user can reverse — use MDM or a configuration profile for real enforcement. On iPhone, the restriction is protected by the Screen Time passcode.
- Does this block private browsing in every browser?
- No, each browser has its own setting. Blocking Chrome's Incognito does nothing to Firefox or Edge, so apply the equivalent policy for every browser installed.