What Happens When You Search in Incognito vs Normal Mode

Incognito mode keeps your browsing off your own computer: no history, no cookies kept after you close it. It doesn't make you anonymous online. Here's exactly what changes when you switch, including what happens to your searches.

What Incognito does

• No history. Pages you visit aren't saved to Chrome's history.
• Fresh cookies each session. You start with no cookies, so you're signed out of everything. Cookies and site data from the session are deleted when you close all Incognito windows.
• No saved form entries. Chrome doesn't remember what you type into forms.
• Third-party cookies are blocked by default.
• Extensions are off unless you've allowed one in Incognito from its Details page.

What Incognito doesn't do

• Hide you from websites. Sites still see your IP address and roughly where you are, and they can track you within the session. If you sign in, they know exactly who you are.
• Hide you from your network. Your employer, school or internet provider can still see which sites you connect to.
• Delete downloads or bookmarks. Files you download and bookmarks you create stay after you close the window.

Why search results look different

In a normal window, if you're signed in to Google, your results can be shaped by your search history and account settings. In Incognito you're signed out and carry no cookies, so you get results without that personalization. They still aren't "neutral": Google uses your location from your IP address and things like your language and device. That's why a search for a local business looks about the same in both modes, while a search on a topic you research a lot may not.

Incognito is handy for checking how a page or listing looks to someone who has never visited, or for searching something you don't want feeding your recommendations.

Good uses for Incognito

• Using a shared or borrowed computer.
• Signing in to a second account without signing out of the first.
• Shopping for a gift on a family computer.
• Testing a site without your cookies or extensions getting in the way.

When you need more than Incognito

• To keep separate identities long term, use separate Chrome profiles instead. Each has its own cookies, history and extensions.
• To hide your IP address from sites, use a reputable VPN or a browser built for it, such as Tor Browser.
• To reduce tracking in everyday browsing, block third-party cookies in normal mode too (Settings → Privacy and security) and review which sites you stay signed in to.

Think of Incognito as "don't remember this on my computer," not "don't let anyone see this."