Open a private tab by pressing Command-Shift-N on Mac or tapping the tabs icon on iPhone and iPad

A private tab in Safari keeps your browsing history, search history, and cookies from being saved to your device. When you close a private tab, Safari forgets you were there. This is useful when you're removing your information from data broker websites, since you won't leave a trail of searches on your own device.

The steps differ slightly between Mac and iPhone or iPad, but the process takes seconds either way. Private tabs look visually different from regular tabs so you can tell them apart at a glance.

Key Takeaways

  • On Mac, press Command-Shift-N to open a new private tab when ready, or use the File menu if you prefer clicking.
  • On iPhone and iPad, tap the tabs icon in the bottom right corner, then tap "Private" to switch modes before opening a new tab.
  • Private tabs show a dark background in Safari and do not save your browsing history, search history, or cookies when you close them.
  • You can have both regular and private tabs open at the same time, and switching between them does not affect what each type saves.
  • Private tabs protect your device history but do not hide your activity from your internet service provider or the websites you visit.

Opening a private tab on Mac

On a Mac, the fastest way is to press Command-Shift-N. A new private tab opens when ready with a dark background. You can now search for data broker websites or your own name without Safari recording the search in your history.

If you prefer using the menu, click File at the top of the screen, then select New Private Window. This opens a full private window rather than a single tab, but it works the same way — Safari will not save your history or cookies when you close it.

You can open as many private tabs as you need. Each one works independently, and you can switch between private and regular tabs without affecting what either type saves.

Opening a private tab on iPhone and iPad

On iPhone, tap the tabs icon in the bottom right corner of the screen — it looks like two overlapping squares. A menu appears showing your open tabs.

At the bottom of this menu, tap Private. The screen background changes to dark, showing you are now in private mode. Tap the plus sign to open a new private tab. Any searches or websites you visit now will not appear in your history.

On iPad, the process is the same. Tap the tabs icon (bottom right on landscape mode, or top right on portrait mode), then tap Private, then tap the plus sign to create a new tab.

What private tabs do and do not protect

Private tabs prevent Safari from saving your browsing history, search history, and cookies on your device. When you close a private tab, that activity disappears. This means if someone else uses your phone or computer, they will not see where you went or what you searched for.

Private tabs do not hide your activity from your internet service provider, your employer's network, or the websites themselves. Data broker websites still see that you visited them and may still collect information about you. Private tabs only protect your local device history.

If you are concerned about hiding your activity from your internet service provider or the websites you visit, you would need to use a VPN (virtual private network) in addition to private tabs. Private tabs alone are sufficient if your goal is straightforward to keep your device history clean while researching data brokers.

Switching between private and regular tabs

You can have both private and regular tabs open at the same time. On iPhone and iPad, the tabs menu shows which mode you are in at the bottom. Tap Private to switch to private tabs, or tap the regular tabs icon to go back to your normal browsing.

On Mac, you can see at a glance which tabs are private — they have a dark background — and which are regular. Clicking between them does not change what Safari saves. A regular tab will still save your history even if you click to a private tab and back.

Closing private tabs and clearing your work

Close a private tab the same way you close any tab: click or tap the X on the tab itself. When you close the last private tab, Safari automatically forgets everything that happened in private mode on that tab.

If you want to make sure your device is completely clean after researching data brokers, you can also manually clear your Safari history. On Mac, go to History menu and select Clear History. On iPhone and iPad, go to Settings, tap Safari, then tap Clear History and Website Data. This removes any regular browsing history you may have accumulated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does private mode hide me from websites I visit?

No. Websites still see that you visited them and can still collect information about you. Private tabs only hide your activity from your own device. If you want to hide from websites, you need a VPN in addition to private tabs.

Can I bookmark pages in a private tab?

Yes. Bookmarks are saved to your device even in private tabs. Only your history and cookies are deleted when you close the private tab.

What happens if I close Safari while private tabs are open?

When you close Safari completely, all private tabs close and their history is deleted. The next time you open Safari, those private tabs will not reappear.

Can someone see I used private mode?

Not from your device history. However, your internet service provider can still see that you were online and which websites you visited, even in private mode. Private mode only hides activity from your device itself.