If you find yourself frequently entering Chrome’s Incognito Mode, you can save a step by creating a dedicated Chrome shortcut that launches the browser with Incognito Mode already enabled. Doing so, however, requires that the user first launch the browser and then initiate a new Incognito Mode session with via Chrome’s menu or a keyboard shortcut ( Control-Shift-N for Windows and Linux, Command-Shift-N for OS X). That said, many users find value in Chrome’s Incognito Mode, and frequently access the feature. The websites a user visits while in Incognito Mode will still be able to identify the user via IP address, and many forms of online viruses and malware will still infect the computer if downloaded or executed. However, Incognito Mode should not be confused with browser or online security.

Incognito Mode is useful for hiding a user’s browsing activity from other local users of the same computer, such as when shopping for a secret birthday gift, conducting private business on a friend’s computer, or looking at adult content.

Related: iPhone and iPad users can block local browser tracking by enabling Private Browsing mode in iOS.

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