While incognito mode offers a degree of anonymity while browsing, it’s important to note that it’s not entirely foolproof. Although browsers like Chrome and Safari don’t save your search history or cookies in incognito mode, your device itself retains certain traces. So, if you’re looking to access your incognito mode history on a laptop/PC or mobile phone, here’s a quick guide to assist you.
Table of Contents
How to view Incognito mode history on PC/laptops
On Windows PC
In order to go through the Incognito mode history on Windows, all you need to do is run a command in the Command Prompt window or download a Chrome extension on your PC/ laptop.
Through Command Prompt
Step 1: Firstly, press Windows + R keys to open the Run Command window
Step 2: In the text box, enter cmd. Alternatively, you can also open ‘Command Prompt’ through the search bar
Step 3: Once the Command Prompt is opened, type in ‘ipconfig/displaydns‘ and press enter
Step 4: Wait for a few seconds and a list of websites visited through the Incognito tab will be displayed. The IP address of each website will also be shown
Through browser extension
Step 1: Firstly, go ahead and search for “Off The Record History” on Google from your PC
Step 2: Now select the topmost result, which should open Chrome Web Store
Step 3: From here, simply select Add to Chrome button
Step 4: Now click Add extension from the popup
Step 5: Although the extension is installed, you will need to set it up. To do this, select the extension (puzzles) icon from the top bar
Step 6: Beside Off The Record History extension, select the 3-dot menu
Step 7: From here, tap Manage extension
Step 8: In the new window, toggle on the Allow in Incognito option
Step 9: Now, every time you browse in the Incognito tab, all your visited web pages will show up in this extension
Step 10: To view incognito history, tap the Off The Record History extension
You also have the option to automatically get rid of incognito history by selecting the dropdown menu and selecting to time period to delete the said history. In a nutshell, this extension allows you to browse incognito windows as you normally would in a default tab.
On Mac
Step 1: Firstly, launch the Applications window on your Mac
Step 2: Now locate the Utilities application and open it
Step 3: Under Utilities, select Console
Step 4: Select your Mac device from the sidebar
Step 5: Now in the search bar up top, enter ‘any:mdnsresponder‘
Step 6: After that, click the ‘Play‘ button in the toolbar from top
Step 7: Now back to the Utilities section and select Terminal
Step 8: Type in ‘sudo killall -INFO mDNSResponder‘ in the Terminal window and hit Enter
Step 9: Enter the password to proceed
Finally, to view the incognito history, go back to ‘Console’ section and here all the websites you have visited will be displayed in the form of IP addresses.
How to see Incognito mode history on mobile phones
Unlike Windows PCs and laptops, Android phones and iPhones don’t come with any official way to view Incognito or private’s tabs’ history. Users will have to resort to web data-tracking and parental control apps that continuously monitor and log the browsing data for later reference. That said, if you wish to view incognito mode history in the future, make sure to download and set up either of these apps on your Android mobile phone or iPhone:
- FamilyTime – With this app, you can track and monitor all web browsing data, including incognito mode activities. It can also record app usage with measures to limit screen time. The app can be downloaded from Google Play Store and App Store.
- KidsGuard – If you’re willing to keep track of incognito mode’s browsing data for personal or your kid’s device, this app can get the job done. The app can be easily found on Google Play Store and App Store.
Do note that these apps may require an annual or monthly fee once the free trial period is over.
FAQs
Is my incognito mode history traceable?
Several parties such as advertisers and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) may still track your browsing activity even in incognito mode. Besides that, organisations and schools can choose to monitor your internet browsing data when you’re within their network.
How to stay safe from intruders tracking your incognito data?
The best way to browse the internet privately and safely is by using VPN services which mask your IP address and re-route your connection to other locations. This way, the websites you visit won’t be able to track your browsing data.
