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In Chrome on Android, tap More (the three-dot menu) and choose Open in a new Incognito window. On many Android tablets the menu entry reads New Incognito window instead. Incognito keeps your browsing off your device’s history once you close it, but it does not hide your activity from websites, your network, or anyone managing that network.
Open Incognito in Chrome
These steps apply to Google Chrome for Android. Other browsers use different menus and names, so check the section on alternative browsers below if you do not use Chrome.
- Open the Chrome app on your phone or tablet.
- Tap More (the three-dot menu at the top right).
- Choose Open in a new Incognito window. On some tablets, choose New Incognito window.
Chrome opens a new window with a dark theme and an Incognito indicator. Any tab you open in that window stays in the Incognito session until you close all Incognito tabs.
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If you only want one page in Incognito, you do not need to switch windows. Touch and hold the link, then select Open link in new Incognito window. The link opens in a separate Incognito tab, and your current tabs are unaffected.
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End the Incognito session
An Incognito session ends when every Incognito tab is closed, not when you leave the app or lock the screen. Use either of these methods:
- Open the tab switcher, select the Incognito tab group, and close each tab.
- Or tap More, then Close all Incognito tabs.
Until the last Incognito tab is closed, the session remains active, so a tab you forgot about keeps the session running.
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What Incognito removes and what it keeps
Incognito limits what Chrome stores on the device. The distinction matters because some things persist after you close the session.
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| Item | After you close all Incognito tabs |
|---|---|
| Record of the sites you visited in the session | Removed by Chrome |
| Cookies and site data created during the session | Removed by Chrome |
| Bookmarks you saved during the session | Kept; they remain available in ordinary browsing |
| Files you downloaded during the session | Kept on the device |
While the session is active, Chrome temporarily keeps cookies and site data so that pages load and sign-in flows work. Chrome describes this as temporary storage, and it is deleted when the Incognito windows close.
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- YOUR CONTENT, SUPER SMOOTH: The ultra-clear 6.7" FHD+ Super AMOLED display of Galaxy A17 5G helps bring your content to life, whether you're scrolling through recipes or video chatting with loved ones.¹
- LIVE FAST. CHARGE FASTER: Focus more on the moment and less on your battery percentage with Galaxy A17 5G. Super Fast Charging powers up your battery so you can get back to life sooner.²
- MEMORIES MADE PICTURE PERFECT: Capture every angle in stunning clarity, from wide family photos to close-ups of friends, with the triple-lens camera on Galaxy A17 5G.
- NEED MORE STORAGE? WE HAVE YOU COVERED: With an improved 2TB of expandable storage, Galaxy A17 5G makes it easy to keep cherished photos, videos and important files readily accessible whenever you need them.³
- BUILT TO LAST: With an improved IP54 rating, Galaxy A17 5G is even more durable than before.⁴ It’s built to resist splashes and dust and comes with a stronger yet slimmer Gorilla Glass Victus front and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer back.
Chrome also blocks third-party cookies by default in Incognito. If a site that depends on them stops working, Chrome lets you temporarily allow them for that site.
What Incognito does not hide
Google’s Chrome Help documentation states it plainly: “While Incognito can help keep your browsing private on your device, it doesn’t make you invisible.” In practice, three parties can still see your activity:
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- Websites you visit, which can still collect data about your visit even if you are not signed in.
- Your network operator, such as a school, employer, or internet provider, which can observe traffic that passes through its network.
- Your Google Account, if you sign in during a private session (see below).
Incognito is therefore a protection against other people who use the same device, not against the sites or networks you connect to.
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Google Search Help notes that if you sign into a Google service in a private window on a device that is not yours, your Google activity controls still apply. Activity can be saved to your Google Account as usual. Google recommends closing private windows, or signing out, when you finish.
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To lock Incognito tabs when you leave Chrome, open More, then Settings, then Privacy and security, and turn on the option to lock Incognito windows. Google notes that some steps for Pixel phones require Android 11 or later. The lock only controls who can open your open Incognito tabs on the device; it does not change what websites or networks can see.
Incognito in other Android browsers
The term “incognito mode” matches Chrome specifically. Google advises that private browsing works differently in other browsers, so use the controls in the browser you actually use.
As a documented example, Samsung’s user guide for the Galaxy Z Fold6 (English EU edition, dated 2024-08-14) calls the feature Secret mode in Samsung Internet. To turn it on, open the Internet app, tap the tab management control, and select Turn on Secret mode. The guide says you can enable a password lock for Secret mode. Toolbars change color while it is active, and some features, such as screen capture, are unavailable. These steps come from that one device and software version and may not match other Samsung models or Android browsers.
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Source references: Google Chrome Help, “Browse in Incognito mode – Android”; Google Search Help, “Sign in on a device that’s not yours – Android”; Samsung, Galaxy Z Fold6 user guide, English EU edition, “Samsung Internet / Using Secret mode.”
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