How to Delete Private Browsing History and Protect Your Privacy
Most people use the incognito browsing mode when they want to keep their browsing history private. But did you know that incognito mode isn’t actually private?
When using incognito mode in your web browser, you may think that your activities are completely anonymous and untraceable. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and other third-party entities may still be able to track your online activity, even during private browsing. Not only that but if you share your device with others, even they can find out what you visited in incognito mode.
So, how do you view and delete your incognito history and protect your privacy?
How Is Your Browsing History Saved in Incognito Mode?
When you browse the internet in incognito mode, the browser doesn’t save your web queries and the websites you visit. Your browsing history, cookies, or other site data are not saved during private browsing. However, just using theincognito mode doesn’t guarantee private browsing. Your browser is not the only place where your data is stored.
Your ISP collects and stores data about your online activities, including which websites you visit—yes, when private browsing too.
Furthermore, some websites may track the IP address of the device used to access their site. Even if your history is not saved to your browser, it can still be stored by other services and websites.
Other than that, if you use private browsing, your device records your browsing session in its Domain Name System (DNS) cache. Here’s how:
Clearly,incognito mode is just not as secure and privateas it sounds. To ensure your privacy, it’s important to delete your DNS cache and any other traces of your browsing session.
Can Private Browsing History Be Tracked?
A quick overview then… Private browsing, such as incognito mode, is designed to prevent your browser from locally storing your browsing history, cookies, and site data. However, it does not guarantee complete anonymity. Your ISP and some websites can still track your online activity, making it possible for your browsing history to be monitored.
Does Private Browsing Delete Search History?
Incognito mode typically does not save your search history, but it does not necessarily delete your search queries from the DNS records. That’s why it’s best to clear the incognito history for completely anonymous internet browsing.
How to View Private Browsing History on PC
On your Windows PC, you can easily view your private browsing history by checking the DNS cache.
Here is how to do that:
After you press Enter, a list of recently accessed websites will appear with their IP addresses. This includes websites visited in both private browsing and normal browsing mode.
How to View Incognito History on Android and iOS
On Android and iOS devices, there’s no official way to view your incognito browsing history. However, you may use third-party apps to access the incognito history. Generally,parental control appssuch as FamilyTime, KidsGuard, Hoverwatch, and others allow you to view the incognito history of devices.
While using these apps, you can view your incognito history but cannot delete it. Other than that, it is not possible to view previous incognito records. If you install a suitable app now, you can only track upcoming incognito sessions.
How to Delete Incognito History on a PC
When you’ve finished your private browsing session, it’s important to delete any traces of your incognito history from the DNS cache.
Here is how to do that on a Windows PC:
When you open the elevated Command Prompt, type “ipconfig/flushdns” and press theEnterkey.
This will delete your DNS cache and clear all traces of your recent browsing session.
How to Delete Incognito History on Android
The steps to delete incognito history on an Android device are quite simple. All you need to do is use the Chrome browser and follow these steps to clear the DNS cache:
How to Delete Incognito History on Mac
On Mac devices, you caneasily flush the DNS cacheand delete your incognito browsing history by using the Terminal command.
How to Clear Incognito History on iPhone
If you use an iPhone, it’s easy to clear the DNS cache, thereby deleting your private browsing history. You just have to toggle the Airplane Mode On and Off. Here is how to do that:
This will delete all the accumulated DNS cache from your device and clear your private browsing history.
How to Clear Incognito History on Linux
so as to clear the incognito mode history on Linux, you need to flush the DNS records.Flushing the DNS in Linuxwill not only clear the private mode history but also help resolve various DNS-related issues, such as domain name resolution problems or outdated DNS entries.
How to Privately Browse the Internet
If you truly wish to privately browse the web, here is what you need to do other than using incognito mode.
How Often Should I Delete My DNS Cache to Maintain Privacy?
It’s a good practice to delete your DNS cache regularly to remove records of your recent website visits, especially if you frequently use incognito mode or value your online privacy. The frequency may vary depending on your browsing habits.
Protect Your Privacy
You must take proper steps to minimize how much third parties know about you. Incognito mode is a great way to browse the web privately and securely, but using it doesn’t ensure total anonymity on the web. You have to follow other practices to truly protect your privacy. Use a reliable VPN, install a secure web browser, clear your browsing data regularly, and delete your DNS cache to stay private online.
Want to mask yourself and avoid being tracked on the internet? Here are some of the best ways to browse the web anonymously.
Taming data is easier than it looks.
My foolproof plan is to use Windows 10 until 2030, with the latest security updates.
You’ve been quoting these famous films wrong all along!
These plugins will make you wonder why you used Photoshop in the first place.
Don’t let someone else take over your phone number.
