What Does 'Incognito Mode' Do?

Many users overestimate the power of their Web browser's 'Incognito Mode.' They may mistakenly believe that by using this mode, they are hiding their data from marketing companies, which use all sorts of tracking methods to collect browsing information. Unfortunately, using Incognito Mode does no such thing. You will not see less ads, nor will you prevent ad networks from targeting you with tailored advertisements.

Of course, this does not render Incognito Mode useless. It still has a lot of uses, and can be very helpful in certain situations.

How does Incognito Mode help you?

• It is great for preventing sites like YouTube from ruining your suggestions. If you are watching a YouTube video unrelated to your interests, you can do it in incognito mode. This way, the next time you visit YouTube, you will not see suggestions based on that particular video.
• You can keep your browsing history clear – this way no one will know what websites you browsed. This is especially useful in certain situation such as shopping for gifts on a shared computer. Your family will have no idea that you are preparing a surprise.
• You can even keep your search history clear – this is also useful when planning surprises or gifts.

However, this is just about it when it comes to Incognito Mode's features. Some misconceptions about this mode that need to be mentioned are:

• It will not hide your IP address and make you anonymous online.
• As we mentioned, it has no impact on ads and targeted ads.
• It prevents tracking cookies from being stored, but ad networks use tons of other methods to gather data about your interests.

While Incognito Mode comes in handy every now and then, it is certainly not the 'miracle privacy solution' that many people think it is. If you are looking to enhance your online privacy, you should focus on improving your Web browsing habits, as well as researching VPN solutions.