Private browsing mode is a feature available in most web browsers that allows users to browse the internet without saving their browsing history, search history, or other data. When operating in private browsing mode, the browser creates a temporary session that is isolated from the browsers main session and user data. Private browsing modes do not necessarily protect users from being tracked by other websites or their Internet service provider (ISP). Furthermore, there is a possibility that identifiable traces of activity could be leaked from private browsing sessions by means of the operating system, security flaws in the browser, or via malicious browser extensions. Private browsing mode is useful for hiding undesirable content from the browsing history, performing web searches that are not algorithmically influenced by prior browsing habits or the users recorded interests, providing a "clean" temporary session for a guest user (such as when using a public computer), and using websites with multiple accounts simultaneously.

To turn on private browsing mode in Google Chrome, users can open a new Incognito window by clicking on the three dots in the top right corner of the browser and selecting "New Incognito Window" or by using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+N on Windows or Linux, or Command+Shift+N on Mac. In Safari on an iPhone, users can turn on private browsing mode by opening Safari, tapping the Tabs button, swiping to the Private tab group button, and selecting the tab they want to open. In Firefox, users can access private browsing mode by opening Firefox, going to the menu in the upper right corner, and clicking "New Private Window".

It is important to note that private browsing mode does not offer complete privacy online, but it does offer some benefits such as preventing passwords, search records, and browsing history from being saved on a shared computer or someone elses device.