Tech Reference

How to use private browsing on your iPhone, and turn it off when you're done browsing

Using iPhone
It's easy to find and use private browsing on your iPhone. Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images
Read in app

Private browsing prevents people who have access to your iPhone from seeing your internet history, because it stops the browser from recording your search and site visit history at all. 

It also prevents your iPhone from storing most cookies for websites, however, which means that you'll be logged out of most sites you visit.

The private browsing feature is exceedingly easy to turn on and off at will, and you won't lose any tabs in the process — your regular tabs stay put when you open private mode, and likewise, your private tabs will stay until you close them.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

iPhone 11 (From $699.99 at Best Buy)

How to use private browsing on your iPhone in Safari

1. Open Safari.

2. Tap the icon in the bottom right corner that looks like two boxes stacked on top of each other. This will open your tabs.

3. Tap the "Private" button in the bottom left corner to turn on private browsing mode.

private browsing iphone
Tap the "Private" button at the bottom of the screen.  Melanie Weir/Business Insider

4. Tap the + button at the bottom of the screen to open a private tab.

private browsing iphone 2
Private mode works almost exactly the same as regular browsing mode — just with more privacy.  Melanie Weir/Business Insider

5. When you're done browsing and want to go back to regular browsing mode, first close any tabs you don't want to be there the next time you open private browsing mode.

6. Tap the same tabs button you pressed before.

7. Tap the word "Private" again to turn off private browsing mode.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

Insider Inc. receives a commission when you buy through our links.

Read next

Melanie Weir is a freelance author for Insider, mainly focusing on the Tech Reference section, but occasionally contributing to Lifestyle and Entertainment topics as well. She is also a freelance writer for ScreenRant, and is the Lead Weekend News Editor at TheThings.com. In her spare time she writes plays for both stage and screen. She can be reached at melanie.weir1008@gmail.com, or through LinkedIn.