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Most browsers offer a private browsing mode that aims to keep the websites you view off the record. But what exactly does it do in Safari and how do you get the best out of it?
What Private Browsing Does in Safari
First and foremost,Private Browsing keeps the website pages you visit out of your History. The aim is to prevent someone else from seeing which pages you have visited if they have access to your phone or computer.
In Safari, Private Browsing does a lot more than just hide URLs. It also:
However, it’s important to note thatPrivate Browsing does not stop you from being trackedaltogether. Websites you visit will still be able to use various methods to track you, and will still have access to all data that you send them.
On macOS, iOS, and iPadOS, Safari groups private tabs together, and separates them from non-private tabs. On Mac, each Safari window is either private or non-private, and can have as many tabs as you want.
On iPhone, you can switch between private and non-private modes, each of which shows all tabs belonging to that mode.
You can spot when you’re viewing a private tab with these signs:
How to Use Safari Private Browsing on iPhone and iPad
The steps to enter Private Browsing mode are nearly identical on an iPhone and iPad. The only difference is that the tab icon is at the bottom of the screen on iOS and the top on iPadOS.
How to Use Safari Private Browsing on a Mac
You can enter Private Browsing mode on macOS using either a menu item or a keyboard shortcut:
How to Disable Safari Private Browsing on iPhone and iPad
You may want to prevent users of an iPhone or iPad from using Private Browsing mode at all. To do so:
The option to enter private mode will now be gone.
How to Disable Safari Private Browsing on a Mac
On macOS, the wording of certain options differs slightly, but the overall process is near-identical to iOS:
Private Browsing will now be unavailable in Safari, although any existing private windows will stay open.
Of course, anyone can re-enable Private Browsing using the same process, in reverse. However, you’re able to use Screen Time’sLock Screen Time Settingsoption to set a passcode and enforce the setting permanently.
