Open Safari and tap the tabs icon to start private browsing

Private browsing on iPhone works through Safari, Apple's built-in browser. To turn it on, open Safari and look for the overlapping squares icon in the bottom right corner of your screen — this is your tabs button. Tap it once.

At the bottom of the screen, you'll see two buttons: "Tabs" and "Private". Tap "Private". Safari will now open a new private tab, shown with a dark background instead of the usual white. Any browsing you do in this tab won't be saved to your history, and cookies from websites won't follow you between sessions.

You can switch between private and regular tabs by tapping the tabs icon again and choosing which mode you want. Private tabs stay private only while they're open — closing them removes the browsing record.

Key Takeaways

  • Private browsing in Safari hides your history from appearing in the browser's history list and prevents websites from storing cookies that track you across visits.
  • You turn on private browsing by tapping the tabs icon (overlapping squares) in the bottom right, then tapping the "Private" button.
  • Private tabs show a dark background so you can see at a glance which tabs are private and which are regular.
  • Closing a private tab removes all record of what you did in it, but private browsing does not hide your activity from your internet service provider or the websites you visit.

What private browsing actually hides and what it doesn't

Private browsing stops Safari from storing three things: your browsing history, cookies, and cached website data. This means when you close a private tab, that website visit won't show up if someone else picks up your phone and opens Safari's history. Websites also can't use cookies to recognize you the next time you visit them in a private tab.

Private browsing does not hide your activity from your internet service provider, your employer's network (if you're on their WiFi), or the websites themselves. If you log into your email or social media account in a private tab, that company still knows you visited. Private browsing is useful for keeping your browsing history off your device, not for hiding your identity online.

Switching between private and regular tabs

You can have both private and regular tabs open at the same time. Tap the tabs icon and you'll see all your open tabs listed. Regular tabs appear with a white background; private tabs have a dark background. Tap any tab to switch to it.

If you want to open a new regular tab while you're in private mode, tap the plus icon (+) at the bottom of the screen, then tap "Tabs" instead of "Private". This opens a regular tab without switching your browsing mode. You can move between the two types freely.

Closing private tabs and clearing your session

Close a private tab the same way you close any tab: swipe left on it in the tabs list, or tap the X button that appears when you tap and hold the tab. When you close all your private tabs, Safari forgets everything that happened in them.

If you want to close all private tabs at once, tap and hold the "Private" button at the bottom of the tabs screen, then select "Close All Private Tabs". This removes all private tabs and their history in one action.

Using private browsing with other browsers

If you use Chrome, Firefox, or another browser instead of Safari, each one has its own private mode. Chrome calls it "Incognito" mode and you access it by tapping the menu icon (three horizontal lines) and selecting "New Incognito tab". Firefox calls it "Private Browsing" and you find it in the menu as well.

The steps differ slightly between browsers, but the result is the same: your browsing in that mode won't be saved to your history. If you switch between browsers on your iPhone, remember that private mode in one browser doesn't affect the other — each browser keeps its own separate history and cookies.

When private browsing is useful

Private browsing works well when you're shopping for a gift on someone else's device, checking your bank account on a shared iPad, or browsing on public WiFi where you don't want your history saved locally. It's also useful if you're researching something sensitive and don't want it appearing in your device's history.

Private browsing is not a substitute for a VPN if you're concerned about your internet service provider seeing what you do, and it won't stop websites from tracking you if you log into an account. For those situations, you'd need additional tools. But for keeping your local browsing history clean, private mode does exactly what it's designed to do.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does private browsing hide my activity from my WiFi provider?

No. Private browsing only hides your history from your device. Your WiFi provider or network administrator can still see which websites you visit. If you need to hide your activity from your network, you would need a VPN (virtual private network), which is a separate tool.

Can I set Safari to always open in private mode?

iOS does not have a setting to make private browsing the default. You have to manually tap "Private" each time you want a private tab. You can, however, create a shortcut using the Shortcuts app that opens Safari in private mode if you want a faster way to start.

What happens to my passwords in private browsing?

Safari still saves and autofills your passwords in private tabs. Private browsing doesn't affect your password manager. When you close the private tab, the fact that you visited that website is forgotten, but your saved passwords remain available.

If I close Safari completely, does that clear private tabs?

Closing Safari doesn't automatically clear private tabs. They stay open until you manually close them or use "Close All Private Tabs". If you force-close Safari from the app switcher, private tabs will still be there when you reopen Safari.

Can someone see my private browsing if they have my iPhone?

Once you close a private tab, there's no record of it in Safari's history. However, if someone has your phone while a private tab is still open, they can see what's on that tab. The privacy only applies after you close the tab.