How to Go Incognito on iPhone
On iPhone you have two common options: Private Browsing in Safari or Incognito mode in the Chrome app. Both stop the browser from saving your history, cookies, and searches on the device.
Safari Private Browsing
- Open Safari and tap the tabs button (two overlapping squares).
- Swipe left across the tab groups until you reach Private.
- Tap + to open a new private tab.
- Tip: long-press the tabs button and choose New Private Tab to jump straight there.
Chrome Incognito on iPhone
- Open Chrome and tap the … menu.
- Tap New Incognito Tab.
- The dark theme and hat icon confirm you're in Incognito.
Lock private tabs with Face ID
- Open Settings → Apps → Safari.
- Turn on Require Face ID to Unlock Private Browsing.
Chrome has a matching option under Settings → Privacy and Security → Lock Incognito Tabs When You Close Chrome.
FAQ
- Does Private Browsing on iPhone hide my IP address?
- Not by itself. If you use iCloud+, Safari can hide your IP from trackers via iCloud Private Relay, but websites you visit still generally see an Apple-assigned relay IP, and other apps are unaffected.
- Can someone see what I browsed privately on my iPhone?
- Private tabs don't appear in history, but anyone who picks up your unlocked phone can see open private tabs unless you enable the Face ID lock. Your network provider can also still see the sites you connect to.