Did you notice Incognito mode’s improved privacy?

Incognito Mode Just Got More Private—Here’s What Changed

If you’ve ever used Incognito mode in Chrome, you probably know the basics: it doesn’t save your browsing history, cookies, or form data.

But was it ever truly private?

Not really.

Until recently, if you copied something—like text or a link—from an Incognito tab, Windows could still save it in your clipboard history. Even worse, if you had Cloud Clipboard turned on, that data could be synced to your other devices.

Kind of defeats the point of “private browsing,” right?

Luckily, Microsoft stepped in to fix it.

Now, when you’re using Incognito in Chrome or InPrivate in Edge, and you copy something, Windows no longer stores it in your clipboard history or syncs it to other devices. That means your copied content actually stays private—just like it should.

Here’s a quick reminder of what private browsing does already protect:

• It doesn’t save your browsing history, so no one else on the same device can see where you’ve been

• It clears cookies once you close the tab, so websites won’t remember you

• It stops form autofill, so login info or credit card details won’t be stored

People use Incognito for all kinds of reasons, like:

• Checking flight or hotel prices without trackers

• Logging into a second account without signing out of the first

• Using a shared computer without leaving a trail

And there’s more: Microsoft also updated how media previews work in Incognito.

Before, if you played a video—say on YouTube—Windows would show the video title and thumbnail in the volume overlay or media panel. Even on the lock screen.

Now? It just says “A site is playing media”. No title, no artwork, no peek into what you’re watching.

So if you’re viewing something sensitive—whether it’s business content or something personal—there’s no chance of accidentally revealing it on screen.

You may not have known these privacy gaps existed—but now, thanks to Microsoft’s updates (and Chrome adopting them), Incognito mode is more private than ever.