5 ways on how to delete history from Incognito

Incognito mode, also known as InPrivate Browsing, has long been the way to browse the internet when you seek invisibility online. However, the internet’s cloak of invisibility has gained popularity from the belief that it wipes all traces of your online activity as soon as you close the incognito window, but the truth is far from it.

Incognito mode, in reality, does not save your browsing history on the device, but it doesn’t make you anonymous. Your employer, school, internet service provider, and the websites you visit can still track your activity. Wondering about ways on how to delete history from incognito? You’ve come to the right place.

How to delete history from incognito

The first thing to know about incognito browsing is that it doesn’t store your browsing history locally. In other words, there is no incognito browsing history to delete on your browser. Once you close your incognito window, Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox, and other browsers erase the following:

– Browsing history

– Cookies and site data

– Form inputs

– Temporary cache

ALSO READ: Google reveals Chrome doesn’t always protect your activity in incognito mode

However, your browsing in incognito mode does leave some traces and below are the ways to clear them.

How to clear incognito history

Since your browser doesn’t store incognito history, you need to clear the traces outside your browser. Here’s how.

1. Clear browser cache and cookies

Since your regular browser window and incognito window share the same system-level cache, you should clear your browser cache and cookies to ensure no trace remains.

2. Delete extensions with tracking permissions

Go to Browser Settings > Extensions > Disable Allow in Incognito/InPrivate to prevent extensions from recording your browsing history.

3. Delete DNS cache

Your operating system stores DNS lookup, which is essentially a list of all the websites you visited. You can clear it manually

• Windows: Open CMD > type: ipconfig /flushdns > press Enter.
• macOS: Open Terminal > type: sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder > Enter (enter admin password).
• Android: Toggle Airplane mode on and off or clear the cache of your browser.
• iPhone: Restarting or toggling Aeroplane mode flushes DNS.

4. Check Google Activity settings

If you stay logged into Chrome while browsing incognito, Google will still be able to track your activity via Web & App activity, Timeline, YouTube history, and Location history. You can go to myactivity.google.com to “Pause or Clear” activity. This will ensure Google stops logging data across devices, not just browsers.

ALSO READ: How to close all incognito tabs in one go on Chrome

5. Use a privacy-focused browser

For truly private browsing, opt for privacy-first browsers like DuckDuckGo, Brave, or Firefox Focus. They automatically wipe background activity and block most trackers at the network level.

In addition to the above steps, you can also use a VPN for true anonymity online. Since VPN encrypts your traffic and prevents ISPs from logging your browsing history, it becomes one of the most effective ways to obscure activity from networks. You can also clear the system logs of your router for additional safety.

Incognito mode helps hide your browsing history locally, but it does not erase your digital footprint. To delete incognito history, you must delete DNS logs, system or browser cache, Google activity, and even router logs. If possible, use a VPN for real privacy.