Use Private Browsing in Safari on Mac

In the Safari app on your Mac, choose File > New Private Window or switch to a private browsing window that’s already open.

A private browsing window has a dark Smart Search field with white text.

Browse as you normally would.

When you use Private Browsing:

• Browsing initiated in one tab is isolated from browsing initiated in another tab, so websites you visit can’t track your browsing across multiple sessions.

• Webpages you visit and your AutoFill information aren’t saved.

• Your open web pages aren’t stored in iCloud, so they aren’t shown when you view all your open tabs from other devices.

• Your recent searches aren’t included in the results list when you use the Smart Search field.

• Items you download aren’t included in the downloads list. (The items do remain on your computer.)

• If you use Handoff, private browsing windows aren’t handed off to your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or other Mac computers.

• Changes to your cookies and website data aren’t saved.

Websites can’t modify information stored on your device, so services normally available at such sites may work differently until you use a non-private window.

In the Safari app on your Mac, choose Safari > Preferences, then click General.

Click the “Safari opens with” pop-up menu, then choose “A new private window.”

In the Safari app on your Mac, close the private window, switch to a non-private Safari window, or choose File > New Window to open a non-private window.

Do any of the following to further enhance privacy:

• Delete any items you downloaded while using private windows.

• Close any other private windows that are still open to prevent other people from using the Back and Forward buttons to see pages you visited in them.