How to Disable Private Browsing

This article explains how users of popular web browsers can turn off the private browsing mode, also known as Incognito Mode. Information is provided for Google Chrome on Windows PCs, Macs, and Android devices; Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge on Windows PCs; and iOS Safari on devices.

By making a change to the Registry, you can completely turn off Chrome's Incognito Mode on a computer running Windows. Although it may appear to be difficult, the process is actually quite simple:

1. Click Start, then enter "CMD" into the search box that appears.

2. Select "Run as Administrator" from the context menu of the Command Prompt by right-clicking on it.

3. In the window that says "Command Prompt," type "REG ADD HKLMSOFTWAREPoliciesGoogleChrome /v IncognitoModeAvailability /t REG_DWORD /d 1," then press the Enter key.

The steps necessary to disable Incognito Mode in Chrome on a Mac are a little bit different, but doing so will still result in the same outcome. The most notable distinction lies in the way that Macs manage registry editing.

1. To access the utilities, go to Go > Utilities in the Finder.

2. Launch the app known as Terminal.

3. In the following text box, type:

   com defaults write defaults google chrome IncognitoModeAvailability -integer 1z
   

4. Press Enter

This feature of the Firefox web browser is not referred to as "Incognito Mode." Instead, you'll find yourself in Private Mode. But you can still disable it

1. Launch Mozilla Firefox.

2. Choose Add-ons from the menu that looks like three horizontal lines and is located in the top right corner of the browser window.

3. Enter "private begone" into the search box located at the very top of the page. "

4. Choose Private Begone from the list of results of your search. The Private Browsing mode in Firefox will be completely disabled by installing this add-on.

5. Click the Add button in Firefox.

6. If a pop-up window titled Add Private Begone appears, select Add from the menu.

7. To finish the installation, select Okay, I Get It from the menu.

8. Stop any and all instances of Firefox that are currently active, and then restart the browser. It should no longer be possible for you to launch Firefox in an incognito window.

In order to disable the InPrivate Browsing feature in Microsoft Edge, a bit more attention to detail is required.

1. Put an end to all instances of the Microsoft Edge browser that are currently active.

2. Click Start, then enter "REGEDIT" into the search box that appears.

3. Choose "Registry Editor" from the list of results that appear when you search the Start menu. Choose Yes when Windows asks if you want to allow the program to make changes to your computer.

4. Locate the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoft key in the tree on the left side of the window.

5. Click Microsoft, then select New > Key from the context menu that appears.

6. Simply refer to it as the "MicrosoftEdge" key. "

7. Select "New > Key" from the context menu that appears when you right-click MicrosoftEdge (the key you just created).

8. Give this new key the name "Main." "

9. To access this, right-click the button labeled Main. Choose "New" > "DWORD (32-bit) Value" from the drop-down menu.

10. The new key will be called "AllowInPrivate." "

11. Simply double-click the DWORD that is labeled AllowInPrivate, and then check to see that its value is 0. If it's anything other than zero, you should change it.

12. Select OK You are free to exit the Registry Editor at this time.

13. You should restart your computer. When you use Microsoft Edge from this point forward, you will no longer have access to the InPrivate option.

In contrast to desktop computers, there is no built-in option available for Android users to turn off the incognito mode of Chrome. However, if you want to accomplish the same thing, there is a third-party app that you can download and install.

1. Launch the Google Play application on your mobile device.

2. You should look for the Disable Incognito Mode app and then install it when you find it.

3. Open the application that will turn off the incognito mode.

4. Tap Open Settings

5. Turn off the incognito mode by selecting it from the settings menu. When prompted, select Allow from the menu to grant the app permission.

6. You can also go back into the app and, after tapping the Settings button, select the Hide icon option to remove the app from your phone's app screen.

Using the controls for Content and Privacy Restrictions, you are able to turn off Private Mode in the Safari web browser that is installed on iPhones.

1. Navigate to the Settings menu, then Screen Time.

2. Tap the Turn on Screen Time button located on the Screen Time page.

3. Tap the Continue button once you've finished reading a rundown of the benefits that the Screen Time feature provides.

4. Tap the This is My Child's iPhone option if you want to set up parental controls on the iPhone that your child uses.

5. You have the option of configuring the Downtime hours during which the phone is inoperable. Continue in the same manner for the App Limits section on the following page. On the Content & Privacy page, tap the Continue button.

6. Set a password for yourself so that no one else can change these settings.

7. Access the Content and Privacy Restriction Settings. In the event that you are asked for the passcode, enter it.

8. Swiping the button to the right activates the Content and Privacy Restrictions, which can be found in the Settings menu.

9. Access the Content Restriction menu.

10. Tap Web Content Tap the Limit Adult Websites button located on the Web Content page.

You are unable to disable Chrome's Incognito mode on an iPhone, but you can do so on a personal computer (PC), a personal computer (Mac), or an Android device. You can, alternatively, disable private browsing in Safari on the iPhone, which is the default browser for iOS, because Safari is the name of the company that makes Safari. It is possible to disable the private browsing mode of Firefox and Microsoft Edge on a personal computer, but this option is not available on a Mac. In addition, since a plug-in is required for Firefox on a personal computer, you should be aware that this feature can be disabled by anyone who possesses even a moderate level of technical expertise.

You need to be aware of the web browsers that are pre-installed on all of the devices and computers in use if you want to exert some level of control over the browsing habits of another person. If you also have Chrome or Firefox installed on your device, restricting Safari on the iPhone, for example, is pointless because you can't disable private browsing for those applications.