What Your Web Browser’s Incognito Mode Really Does

You don’t have to be a computer whiz to grasp the value of private web browsing. At a time when consumers are worried about the data Facebook and others have assembled on their digital lives, it’s nice to have a browser tool that conceals some online activity.

All of today’s major web browsers—Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari—offer a feature that provides a private browsing window and deletes the browsing history on your computer after you close it. (To open a private window, go to the File menu and look near the New Window option.)