Guest mode lets you browse without saving your history, cookies, or login information
Chrome's Guest mode opens a temporary browsing window that does not store your passwords, browsing history, cookies, or site data. When you close the guest window, nothing you did in it remains on your computer. This is useful when you want to test how a website behaves for someone who is not logged in, or when you are working on a shared computer and do not want your activity mixed with someone else's account.
Guest mode is not the same as an incognito window. Both hide your activity from other users on the same computer, but guest mode is more isolated — it does not connect to your Chrome profile at all, while incognito still uses your profile's extensions and some settings. For testing purposes, guest mode shows you the experience of a completely fresh visitor.
Key Takeaways
- Open a guest window by clicking your profile icon in the top right corner of Chrome and selecting "Browse as guest".
- Guest mode does not save passwords, history, cookies, or any other browsing data when you close the window.
- Guest windows do not use your installed extensions, so you see the website as a user without add-ons would see it.
- You can open multiple guest windows at the same time, each completely separate from the others and from your main Chrome profile.
Opening a guest window step by step
Click the profile icon in the top right corner of your Chrome window. It looks like a circle with your initial or a generic person silhouette. A menu will drop down showing your profile name and a list of options.
Select "Browse as guest" from that menu. Chrome will open a new window with a blue guest badge in the top left corner. This window is now in guest mode. You can navigate to any website and use it normally — type in the address bar, click links, fill out forms, log into accounts if you need to test a login flow.
When you close the guest window, Chrome deletes everything that happened in it. Your main Chrome profile is not affected. If you open Chrome again, your regular profile will be exactly as you left it.
What guest mode does and does not do
Guest mode does not store browsing history. Every page you visit, every search you make, every form you fill out — none of it is recorded. This means you cannot use the back button to return to a page you visited earlier in the same guest session, because Chrome has no record of where you have been.
Guest mode does not save passwords. If you log into a website in guest mode, Chrome will not offer to save that password. The next time you open a guest window, you will have to log in again. This is by design — guest mode is meant to leave no trace.
Guest mode does not use your extensions. Any add-ons you have installed in your main Chrome profile will not appear in guest mode. This is important for testing, because extensions can change how a website looks or behaves. In guest mode, you see the website as it appears to someone without any extensions installed.
Guest mode does use your Chrome settings. Your default search engine, your language preference, and your accessibility settings will carry over into guest mode. Only your personal data — history, passwords, bookmarks, and extensions — stays behind.
Using multiple guest windows at once
You can open as many guest windows as you want, and they do not interfere with each other. Each guest window is completely separate. You could log into the same website with two different accounts in two different guest windows and switch between them without either one knowing about the other.
This is useful for testing how a website handles multiple simultaneous sessions, or for comparing how the same page looks when you are logged in as different users. Close one guest window and the others stay open and unaffected.
Guest mode versus incognito mode
Chrome also has an incognito mode, which you can open by pressing Ctrl+Shift+N (Windows) or Command+Shift+N (Mac). Incognito and guest mode both hide your activity, but they work differently. Incognito mode is connected to your Chrome profile — it uses your extensions, your bookmarks, and your settings. It just does not save your history or cookies when you close it. Guest mode is completely disconnected from your profile.
For testing a website as a fresh visitor, guest mode is usually the better choice because it removes extensions and other profile-specific elements. For private browsing on your own computer, incognito is often more convenient because you keep access to your bookmarks and tools.
When guest mode is useful for web developers
Guest mode is helpful when you need to see how your website looks to someone who has never visited before. You can test whether your login flow works correctly, whether your forms submit properly, and whether your site loads the same way for a new visitor as it does for a returning one.
You can also use guest mode to test on a shared computer without affecting other users' Chrome profiles. If you are working on a development machine that multiple people use, opening a guest window keeps your test activity separate from everyone else's browsing.
Guest mode is also useful for testing whether your site works correctly without cookies. Some websites rely on cookies to function, and guest mode lets you see what happens when a visitor arrives with no stored data from previous visits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does guest mode hide my activity from my internet provider or network administrator?
No. Guest mode only hides your activity from other users on the same computer. Your internet service provider, your network administrator, or anyone monitoring your network can still see what websites you visit. If you need to hide your browsing from your network, you would need a VPN or similar tool, not guest mode.
Can I save bookmarks in guest mode?
No. Guest mode does not save anything. Any bookmarks you create in a guest window will be deleted when you close it. If you need to save a bookmark, you would have to switch to your main Chrome profile or write down the address.
Will websites know I am browsing in guest mode?
Websites cannot detect that you are in guest mode. From the website's perspective, you are just a visitor with no cookies and no browsing history. The website will not know or care whether you are in guest mode, incognito mode, or a regular window.
Can I install extensions in guest mode?
No. Guest mode does not allow you to install extensions. You can only use the extensions that are already installed in your main Chrome profile, and even those do not appear in guest mode. If you need an extension for testing, you would have to use your main profile or incognito mode instead.
What happens if I close my guest window by accident?
Everything in that guest window is deleted. You cannot recover it. If you were in the middle of testing something, you would have to start over in a new guest window. This is why it is a good idea to take notes or screenshots of important test results rather than relying on your browser history.