Incognito Mode: Are you Really Incognito?

Isabell Gaylord
 

Introduction

A lot of people have a wrong impression of Incognito Mode. Some users think this browsing mode covers your tracks completely from anyone, including both other computer users and the government. However, in reality, Incognito Mode is simply a way to keep your browsing history hidden. Additionally, Incognito Mode ensures that you log off of public computers without the computers storing your data.

Why Do People Use Incognito Mode?

People track out online information for multiple reasons. They track us for our safety and for other people’s safety. Additionally, commercial entities track our activities in order to serve targeted ads. This is one of the reasons why every time you look up edubirdie on Google, you start receiving emails offering Boom Essays review article. However, the main reason is that our ISP just want to make sure we are not using their bandwidth to perform illegal activities.

Most regular internet users just want to spend a few hours on Facebook, or enjoy a Flat Earth YouTube video without being dragged into a Youtube hole of propaganda and Info Wars products. Yet, some use the internet as a gateway to criminal activities. In that respect, browsing history and cookie tracking is a reasonable endeavor. However, for this article we will focus on honest people interested in what Incognito Mode can do for them.

On the Subject of Cookies

In the online world, Cookies represent small pieces of textual information. These cookies hold various types of information regarding your browsing history. Cookies contain your login information, which is why most browsers keep your accounts active until you decide to logout. Cookies are also the reason why you don’t have to fill out some forms such as country of origin or home address.

Incognito Mode clears all cookies that your browser gathers during a session. This keeps your web activities private from other users on the same computer. This way, nobody in your household would receive targeted ads based on your recent search or browsing history. More importantly, if you enter your login information on some website, Incognito Mode makes sure you won’t stay logged in. Additionally, it will make sure your login information will not store on that computer. This is especially important when using a public computer, or someone else’s with whom we don’t want to share our private data.

Using Google Account During Incognito Mode

Google is the world’s largest digital advertising entity, with billions of daily users via dozens of Google apps and services. As we already stated, Incognito Mode handles your privacy by dealing with the cookies and browsing history. However, is Google kind enough to do so as well?

When you use any Google service like Gmail, YouTube, or any other in the wide array of services this techno giant provides, you send all of your web-related data to Google. Therefore, it’s important to know that hiding your internet activities from Google is only possible if you do not use and of your Google accounts.

Can Incognito Mode Hide Your Location?

This is a common misconception that results in a lot of people assuming that their online footprint is invisible. However, Incognito Mode is not a VPN tool, which means that any server you connect to will have information regarding your ISP, IP address, country of origin, etc. The only way one could hide such information is using a VPN software, or possibly using Tor browser or Opera. These programs allow you to hide your digital footprint and identity.

Conclusion

Incognito Mode is an excellent method of hiding your personal information from anyone else who is using the same computer as you do. Additionally, it is a smart way to avoid staying logged in while using public computers and networks. It’s also a neat way to hide your browsing history from anyone who would frown upon some websites you are visiting.

However, it’s important to remember that Incognito mode doesn’t provide complete privacy. You can still leave a trace on your Google account if you log in during Incognito mode use. Furthermore, Incognito mode browsing is not the same as using a Virtual Private Network. Incognito mode can cover your tracks, but only from those in your immediate vicinity. Therefore, browse carefully.

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