Open private or incognito windows in your web browser

Most internet browsers offer the ability to open private or incognito windows that allow users to prevent the browser from saving certain browsing data (like browsing history, temporary internet files or cookies).

Opening a private browsing window could disable some browser extensions, which can be useful in troubleshooting issues with your Xfinity Internet service and Xfinity Email.

Note: Private or incognito windows typically have a darker color scheme than the standard browsing window.

Open an incognito window in Google Chrome (desktop)

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Click the icon in the top-right corner of the window.
3. Click New incognito window.
4. That’s it! Pages you view in incognito tabs won’t stick around in your browser’s history, cookie store or search history after you’ve closed all of your incognito tabs. Any files you download or bookmarks you create will be kept.
   
   

Note: Going incognito doesn’t hide your browsing from your employer, your internet service provider, or the websites you visit.

Open an incognito tab in Google Chrome (mobile)

1. Open the Google Chrome mobile app.
2. Tap the icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
3. Tap New Incognito Tab.
4. That’s it!

Open a private window in Safari (desktop)

1. Open Safari.
2. Click File in the top-left corner of the window.
3. Click New Private Window in the dropdown.
4. That’s it! Using a private window allows you to browse the Internet without Safari remembering the sites you’ve visited or downloads.

Open a private window in Safari (mobile)

1. Open the Safari mobile app.
2. Tap the icon in the lower-right corner of the screen.
3. Tap Private in the lower-left corner of the screen.
4. Tap the + sign in the middle of the screen.
   
   
   
5. That’s it! In Private Browsing Mode, Safari won’t remember the pages you visited, your search history, or your AutoFill information after you close a tab.

Open an InPrivate window in Microsoft Edge

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Click the icon in the top-right corner of the window.
3. Click New InPrivate window in the dropdown.
4. That’s it! When you use InPrivate tabs or windows, your browsing data (like your history, temporary internet files and cookies) won’t be saved on your PC once you're done.

Open a private window in Firefox

1. Open Firefox.
2. Click the icon in the top-right corner of the window.
3. Click the New Private Window button.
4. That’s it! When you browse in a private window, Firefox does not save visited pages, cookies, searches or temporary files. However, Firefox will still save your bookmarks and downloads.
   
   

Note: Private browsing doesn’t make you anonymous on the internet. Your employer or internet service provider can still know what pages you visit.

Additional information

Visit our Online Support Center to find common solutions.

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