Apple knows you may have a good reason not to want your iPhone or iPad to track what you're doing while browsing the web in Safari. For some time, Safari has had private browsing, in which no record is kept of which websites you've visited, your search history, or your AutoFill information. Here's how to use Private Browsing in Safari on iPhone.
Why You'll Love This Tip
- Browse the web anonymously, with no saved searches, history, or cookies.
- Prevent websites from tracking your activity.
How to Use Private Browsing in Safari on iPhone
System Requirements
This tip was performed on an iPhone 15 Pro running iOS 26.3. Find out how to update to the latest version of iOS.
What is incognito mode, and how do you turn private browsing off on iPhone? Incognito mode on iPhone is actually called Private Browsing Mode. You can open private tabs in Safari to keep your web activity anonymous and prevent websites from tracking your activity. For more iPhone privacy tips and advice, check out our free Tip of the Day newsletter. Now, here's how to turn on private browsing on your iPhone:
- Open Safari, and tap the three dot button in the lower right.
![a screenshot of iphone safari browser with a red circle around three dot button]()
- Tap All Tabs.
![a screenshot of iphone safari browser with a red circle around all tabs button]()
- You can tap the Private tab or swipe right on the tab bar.
![a screenshot of iphone safari browser with private tab circled in red, and a red arrow pointing to the right, indicating to swipe right on the tab bar]()
- If you have any private tabs open, you will need to use Face ID to unlock your private browsing session.
![iphone safari browser private browsing with a face ID prompt]()
- If you have no open private tabs, you'll see an explanation of Private Browsing Mode. Tap the Plus icon to open a new tab.
![a screenshot of iphone safari private browser with a red circle around the plus button]()
- Enter your search terms or a URL.
![a screenshot of iphone safari private browser with address bar circled in red]()
- To turn off Private Browsing on iPhone, just tap the tab on the lower right or swipe left.
![a screenshot of iphone safari private browser with a red circle around non-private tabs and a red arrow pointing to the left, indicating to swipe left]()
That's how to turn off private browsing on iPhone and open private tabs at any time! Now that you know how to use Safari's incognito mode on your iPhone, you can easily browse the web privately.
