How To Go Incognito On Google Chrome [2026 Guide]

I’m going to teach you how to go incognito on Google Chrome. If you've ever wanted to browse without your activity being saved to your local history, Incognito mode makes that quick and simple. It's great for keeping your browsing separate on a shared computer, signing into a second account without affecting your main session, or preventing your searches from being stored in Chrome's history.

Just remember, incognito doesn't make you invisible online. Websites you visit, your school or employer's network, and your internet provider may still be able to see your activity, and anything you download or add to bookmarks will still be saved on your device.

Read More: How To See Delete Incognito History In Google Chrome

Basics - Go Incognito On Google Chrome [2026 Guide]

First, open Google Chrome on your laptop or PC. Make sure you're in the Chrome browser, not another one that might look similar. You'll know it's Chrome if you see the familiar colorful circle logo and the standard Chrome interface.

Look to the very top right corner of the Chrome window. You'll see a three-dot icon, sometimes called the More button. Click that icon to open a dropdown menu.

From that dropdown, choose New Incognito window. Be sure you select the option that specifically says Incognito. If you accidentally choose New window, that's just a standard browsing window and your activity will be saved as usual.

Clicking New Incognito window tells Chrome to open a separate private session. A new window will pop up with a darker theme. That's your Incognito mode.

For extra detail, see how to open a private or incognito browsing session in Chrome.

What incognito does and doesn't do

You'll typically see a small icon and a short explanation right on the page. While you're in this window, Chrome won't save your browsing history, cookies, site data, or information you enter in forms after the session ends. Temporary cookies used during your visit are cleared when you close the incognito session, and most extensions are paused by default unless you've specifically allowed them to run in private mode.

If a site asks you to sign in, you can do that. The sign-in applies only to the tabs inside this incognito window and won't carry over to your regular Chrome windows.

Read More: Delete Incognito History Google Chrome

Practical uses

Use this when you want to keep a search off your local history, compare prices without past cookies influencing results, or test how a website behaves for a first-time visitor. When you're done, simply return to your regular Chrome window to continue browsing as usual. That's all there is to it.

Final thoughts

Open Chrome, click the three dots, choose New Incognito window, and you're ready to browse in a separate private session. Keep in mind that downloads and bookmarks still save to your device, and your activity can still be visible to sites and networks. Use Incognito mode when you need a clean, temporary session without adding to your local history.