8 Awesome Reasons to Go Incognito in Google Chrome

Did you know you can go incognito in Google Chrome? It’s a fantastic feature, and there are many reasons you should try it. Here are 8 Awesome Reasons to Go Incognito in Google Chrome!

You Need to Go Incognito in Google Chrome! Here’s Why:

Yep, I’m talking about Google Chrome again!

One of my favorite little features in Google Chrome is called incognito mode.

Incognito mode is a clean window that is not automatically logged into anything, and it doesn’t save your history or save cookies.

It will also remove login information so that it doesn’t appear the next time a window is opened.

It sounds a little scary, but I promise it can be used for good and not evil. (Please note: some schools block access to incognito for students and sometimes teachers as well.)

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How to Go Incognito

To open an incognito window, go to your Chrome menu (the three dots).
(Google trainers often refer to these three lines as the snowman—go figure, we like food and stuff that is easy for kids to remember.)
Choose “new incognito window.” You can also use the keyboard shortcut: shift+command+N (Mac), or shift+control+N (PC or Chromebook).
By the way, incognito also works on mobile devices! Go to the three dots menu near the top-right to open a new incognito window.

8 Awesome Reasons to Go Incognito in Google Chrome

There are several ways you can use incognito mode both inside and outside of the classroom. Below are some of my favorites:

1- Student Presentations:

When students come to the presentation computer to show their work it can often be cumbersome to log in and out of Google or other various tools. Open an incognito window for each student to login to their Google account and/or the other digital tools they need to access to demonstrate their work to the class. Once they are finished, close the window, and their login credentials are gone! You no longer have to log out and remove all the additional accounts.

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2- Shared/Public Computers:

Have you ever opened a browser on a public computer and noticed someone forgot to log out of their Google account? Faux pas! Don’t let it happen to you! You don’t want anyone accidentally or on purpose getting access to your stuff. If you need to use a public computer or a shared machine in the library, open an incognito window to log in to your Google account, email, etc. When you close the window, your login credentials are gone and not saved to the machine. Be sure you show this trick to your students as well so they don’t leave themselves logged into their accounts.

3- Check Links:

Incognito mode is an excellent way to check the public version of links. For instance, if you have created a Google Site to share with parents, you want to make sure they can see everything without having to log into an account. Copy and paste your link in an incognito window and see how it looks when you aren’t logged into anything. Great for quick checks! (Tip: You can also right-click on links on a page and choose to open them in an incognito window.)

4- Travel Deals:

Okay, this one has nothing to do with the classroom but is worth mentioning. Ever notice how Google seems to know the moment you start planning that trip to Disney? Everywhere you go online suddenly has ads for Disney everywhere! That’s because it is tracking you and your history. A lot of people have found better travel deals just by searching in Incognito. No guarantee, but worth a shot!

5- Sharing Your Computer:

Sometimes a friend or a colleague needs to borrow your laptop or device. Instead of letting them just log in to their Facebook in a regular Chrome window, open an Incognito window. This way, when they are done doing what they need to do, you just close the window, and their information is gone. You don’t want to accidentally use someone else’s Facebook account!

6- Unbiased Searching:

Google’s search algorithm will often include recommendations from your networks and other various information from your account to try to bring you the results you want. If you want to see more “pure” and unbiased search results, try searching in Incognito mode.

7- Buying Gifts:

Your significant other and your children are probably smart enough to check your browsing history around Christmas and their birthdays. Make sure they can’t see what you bought by searching and buying your gifts online in an Incognito window.

8- Research in Private:

There may be many reasons that you do not want certain searches to be a part of your history, and that doesn’t mean you are up to no good, but maybe just need a little more privacy. For instance, researching a medical condition, or if you are looking for a new job.

These are just a few of the ways that Incognito can be used. What are your favorite ways to use this feature of Google Chrome? Please share in the comments below.

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