Set Chrome to Always Open in Incognito on Android and iPhone

General
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Hey everyone, want Chrome to automatically open in Incognito mode on your phone? It’s a handy trick for keeping your browsing private. Here’s how to set it up on both Android and iPhone.

Method 1: Using a Shortcut (Android - Most Effective)

This method is the quickest and most reliable for Android. It involves creating a shortcut that directly launches Chrome in Incognito mode.

  1. Long-press on an empty space on your Android home screen.
  2. Tap on “Widgets.”
  3. Scroll through the widgets until you find the “Chrome” widget.
  4. Tap and hold the “Chrome” widget, and drag it to your home screen.
  5. You’ll now see a list of options. Choose “Incognito Mode”.
  6. Tap on the newly created shortcut icon to launch the browser in Incognito mode.

This shortcut will now open a new Incognito window in Chrome by default each time you tap it.

Method 2: Using Chrome Flags (Android & iPhone)

This method involves using Chrome flags. This method is less effective than the shortcut method because you need to keep the app in the background after setting it and this can be unreliable.

  1. Open Chrome on your phone.
  2. In the address bar, type chrome://flags and hit enter.
  3. In the search box, type “Incognito mode”.
  4. Look for the flag called “Incognito mode availability” or similar.
  5. Tap on the dropdown menu next to it.
  6. Select the “Enabled” option.
  7. Tap on “Relaunch” to restart Chrome.

With this method enabled, Chrome should now start in Incognito mode. However, this method isn’t perfectly reliable and might not work on all devices. It is less effective because the method depends on keeping the app open in the background and can be closed by the OS.

Method 3: Always-Incognito Apps (Android - Less Effective)

There are third-party apps that claim to launch Chrome in incognito mode by default. However, this is the least reliable method as these are 3rd party apps that could stop working at any point or have potential security risks. It involves downloading a third party app. These are often unreliable and may not function as expected.

  • Search for “Incognito Browser” or similar terms on the Google Play Store.
  • Download and install one of the apps.
  • Follow the app’s instructions to set up launching Chrome in Incognito mode.
  • These apps typically create a shortcut. Use it to launch the browser in Incognito.

Using third-party apps is the least preferred method because of potential reliability and security concerns. It is the least effective method.

That’s all, folks! Now you should be able to always open Chrome in Incognito mode with your preferred method. Feel free to share any questions below.