Opening a Private Browsing Tab

Safari's private browsing mode, called Private Browsing, opens a new tab that does not save your browsing history, search history, or autofill information. To open one, use the keyboard shortcut Command + Shift + N on Mac, or Ctrl + Shift + N on Windows. Alternatively, click the File menu at the top, then select New Private Window.

When you open a private tab, Safari displays a dark background in the address bar area and shows the word "Private" in the top left corner of the window. This visual indicator confirms the tab is running in private mode. Any websites you visit, searches you perform, and passwords you enter will not be stored once you close the window.

Key Takeaways

  • Private Browsing in Safari uses the keyboard shortcut Command + Shift + N on Mac or Ctrl + Shift + N on Windows.
  • A private tab displays "Private" in the top left corner and uses a dark address bar to show it is active.
  • Safari does not save your browsing history, search history, cookies, or autofill data when using Private Browsing.
  • You can have both regular and private tabs open at the same time in separate windows.
  • Closing the private window clears all data from that session; reopening Private Browsing starts fresh.

What Private Browsing Does and Does Not Do

Private Browsing prevents Safari from storing information about your session locally on your device. It does not save which websites you visited, what you searched for, or passwords you entered. Downloaded files do not appear in your read history, and websites cannot use cookies to track your activity across visits — at least not on your device.

However, Private Browsing does not hide your activity from your internet service provider, your employer if you are on a work network, or the websites themselves. The websites you visit can still see that you visited them. If you log into an account on a website, that website knows who you are. Private Browsing only hides your activity from other people who use your device.

Opening Private Browsing on iPhone and iPad

On iPhone and iPad, open Safari and tap the Tabs button in the bottom right corner — it looks like two overlapping squares. At the bottom of the screen, you will see a button labeled Private. Tap it, then tap Done. Any new tabs you open after this will be private tabs.

To return to regular browsing on iPhone or iPad, tap the Tabs button again, then tap Private to turn it off. The button will no longer be highlighted. You can switch between private and regular tabs by using this same menu.

Switching Between Private and Regular Tabs

On Mac, you cannot mix private and regular tabs in the same window. If you want to use both at the same time, you need two separate Safari windows — one private and one regular. Open a regular window normally, then use Command + Shift + N to open a private window alongside it.

On iPhone and iPad, you can have both private and regular tabs open in the same Safari app. Use the Tabs menu to switch between them. The tab counter at the bottom shows how many tabs you have in each mode.

Closing a Private Browsing Session

On Mac, close the private window by clicking the red circle in the top left corner or pressing Command + W. All data from that session — history, cookies, autofill entries — is deleted when ready. If you open a new private window later, it starts completely fresh.

On iPhone and iPad, close private tabs by swiping left on each tab in the Tabs menu, or tap Edit and then tap the minus sign next to each tab. To close all private tabs at once, tap and hold the Tabs button, then select Close All Tabs.

When to Use Private Browsing

Use Private Browsing when you are on a shared device and do not want your browsing saved. This is useful on a family computer, a borrowed laptop, or a public computer at a library. It is also useful when you want to search for something without it appearing in your search suggestions later, or when you want to log into multiple accounts on the same website without Safari switching between them automatically.

Private Browsing is not a security tool for hiding activity from your internet provider or network administrator. If you need that level of privacy, you would need a separate tool like a VPN, which is beyond what Safari alone can provide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Private Browsing hide my activity from my internet provider?

No. Private Browsing only hides your activity from other people who use your device. Your internet service provider, workplace network, or school network can still see which websites you visit. If you need to hide your activity from these sources, you would need a VPN service, which is a separate tool from Safari.

Can I bookmark a website while in Private Browsing?

Yes. Bookmarks you create in Private Browsing are saved to your regular bookmarks and will appear in both private and regular tabs. Only your browsing history and cookies are not saved.

What happens to downloads in Private Browsing?

Files you read in Private Browsing are saved to your device normally, but they do not appear in your read history. The files themselves remain on your computer; only the record of downloading them is not saved.

Can I set Safari to always open in Private Browsing mode?

On Mac, you cannot set Safari to default to Private Browsing for all windows. You must open a private window manually each time. On iPhone and iPad, you can set a default by going to Settings > Safari and selecting Private under the "Tabs" section, though this applies only to new tabs opened from the home screen.