How to Disable Incognito Mode on Android & iPhones

The incognito mode offers good use, like the ability to surf the internet without leaving traces of their browsing history. However, if you are a parent, you might want to be able to monitor your child’s internet activities. One way to do this would be to disable incognito mode so you can see the history of their browsing activities.

Fortunately, this article explains everything you need to know to disable incognito mode on Android devices and iPhones.

What Does Incognito Mode Mean On Android and iPhones?

Incognito mode on Android means burying your identity and going undercover as you surf the internet. As you surf the internet in incognito mode, there won’t be traces of the websites and activities you engage with because the internet won’t save your browsing history.

Unlike the regular chrome window, where every cookie, cache, and permission you grant gets stored, the incognito mode deletes all of this information once you exit the tab.

You may wonder, “Is my identity invincible while surfing in incognito mode?”

While the browser doesn’t save your browsing history, it is still possible to use some information to trace activity in incognito mode.

The following is a list of information someone can use to trace activity in incognito mode:    

  • IP address: your IP address stores your real-time location and ISP (Internet Service Provider).
  • Logging into a website keeps a Gmail record showing the site you visited and the time you visited.
  • Incognito mode cannot mask your identity from Law Enforcement.

How to Disable Incognito Mode on Android – Working Tips?      

Here are three different ways to disable the incognito mode on an Android.

Method #1: Disable Incognito Mode on Android with the Notification or Browser Interface

  • STEP 1: Slide your Android screen from top to bottom.
  • STEP 2: Locate the incognito notification with the Hat and Glasses icon that says Close all incognito tab.
  • STEP 3: Click on the notification to disable incognito on your Android device.

To disable incognito mode from the Browser Interface:

  • STEP 1: Go to your Web browser, i.e., Chrome.
  • STEP 2: Locate the “Tab Switcher” on the top right corner and tap on it.
  • STEP 3: Click on the incognito section.
  • STEP 4: Close all the open incognito tabs individually.

Method #2: Disable Incognito Mode on Android using the Google Family Link app

You can use the Google Family Link to restrict your children’s private browsing and keep tabs on them.

Here is how to use the app:

  • STEP 1: Go to your Google Play Store and search for the Google Family Link app.
  • STEP 2: Install the app on your Android device and your child’s Android device to link both.
  • STEP 3: Sign in with your Google account
  • STEP 4: Enter your child or ward’s Google account
  • STEP 5: Link both accounts and begin setting ground rules with the Google Family Link app.

Below are some ways you can use the Google Family Link app:

  • Keep a tab on your child’s internet activity
  • Choose permission for any unsuitable app
  • Restrict installation of new apps without your approval
  • Keep track of the real-time location of your child’s Android, among others.

Method #3: Disable Incognito Mode on Android using a Third-party app

Third-party apps are other options to disable incognito mode on Android. When you disable incognito mode with a third-party app, you can lock the tab, and if anyone wants to access the incognito mode tab, they would need permission from you.

An example of a third-party app is Incognito away. However, it is important to note that they only work on the Google Chrome web browser.

How to Disable Incognito Mode On iPhone – Working Tips?

You can disable the incognito mode on iPhones by following the simple steps below.

  • STEP 1: Go to the Google Chrome window.
  • STEP 2: Click on the Tab Switcher between the Incognito and regular Google Chrome windows. It has a box-like shape.
  • STEP 3: Tap the delete icon “X” to close incognito mode.

If your default Web Browser is Safari, you can also easily disable incognito mode/private browsings on your iPhone device with these steps:

  • STEP 1: Go to “Settings” on your iPhone device.
  • STEP 2: Locate the “Screen Time Section” and tap to turn it ON.
  • STEP 3: Tap “Continue.”
  • STEP 4: Tap on “This is My Child” to enable parental control.
  • STEP 5: Click on the “Content & Privacy” option and set the Downtime hours.
  • STEP 6: Create your preferred Passcode to gain total control of the newly made settings
  • STEP 7: Click on the “Content & Privacy Restriction” option and enter your new Passcode.
  • STEP 8: Tap to turn ON Content & Privacy Restrictions.
  • STEP 9: Locate the “Web Content” option and tap the “Limit Adult Websites” option.

How To Disable Incognito Mode On Android Youtube

Disabling incognito mode on YouTube is quite easy. Follow the steps below to learn how you can do that.

  • STEP 1: While still in the incognito mode window, locate the icon on the top right, close to the location of your profile icon.
  • STEP 2: Tap on the icon.
  • STEP 3: Locate the “Turn off incognito mode” option in the list of options on your screen.
  • STEP 4: Tap the option to exit the incognito mode to your normal YouTube window.

How To Disable Incognito Mode On My LG Android

Follow the steps below to disable incognito mode on your LG Android phone.

  • STEP 1: Go to the Tabs icon at the top of your Chrome windows and tap on it.
  • STEP 2: Close the incognito tab from the tabs icon.
  • STEP 3: Drag from the left side of your screen to the right to return to your regular chrome windows.

How Do I Know If I’m In Incognito Mode On Android?

To know if you are in incognito mode, you can be on the lookout for these conditions:

  1. If you’re logged into incognito mode, the browser won’t save every website you visit, including the cookies and caches.
  2. The incognito mode window algorithm doesn’t suggest feeds, search results, or any files you wish to access because you are surfing underground on the internet. Browsing on Incognito is synonymous with traveling through the internet without an identity.

Read also: What Is Uptime in Mobile?

What Is The Incognito Mode? Top Benefits

The incognito mode offers some benefits to users. Some of them are:

1. Ability to use multiple Google accounts

Google Chrome operates with a signed-in google account and stores your internet surfing activities on this account. This implies that you can’t use multiple Google accounts on regular chrome windows.

With Incognito mode on Android, you can use your work Google account on the regular Chrome and your personal account on incognito windows.

2. Surprising Loved Ones with Gifts

Visiting an online shop frequently can make the site algorithm offer similar items to you. In other words, the algorithm may show ads for items similar to your previous searches or purchases.

In light of this, if occasions like anniversaries come up and your partner checks your device, they can easily predict what you plan to gift them.

Incognito mode allows you to shop online without any ads. Better still, you can erase any footprint of your online shop visits.

3. Avoid annoying suggestions from apps

You can use incognito mode to prevent your YouTube algorithm from constantly suggesting videos relating to that problem you just searched on your feed.

Read also: What is beta program is full meaning?

5 Best Browsing Apps With Incognito Modes

The following are the five best apps that browse with Incognito Mode:

Brave Browser

This free private web browser features ad blockers, tracker blockers, incognito mode, and HTTPS Everywhere, among others.

Cake Browser

The Cake Web Browser app is a free web browser that prioritizes not tracking its users. It features a full privacy mode, tracker blocking, and Passcode that prevents others from using your browser.

Firefox

Firefox is a free web browser that provides its million users with many features, including tracking protection and add-ons for optimizing security for its users.

Dolphin Zero

Dolphin Zero is a free and powerful web browser that provides users with features like a Do Not Track mode and an ad blocker.

DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser

DuckDuckGo is a free and trustworthy private web browser, allowing users to browse the internet with less ad intrusion. It blocks third-party trackers and shows you how many of the trackers it blocked.

Conclusion

We hope you now know how to disable incognito mode on your Android and iOS devices. On another note, if you don’t know what the incognito mode means, you can refer to some other sections in the article.