Want to hide your Chrome search history? Clever new feature keeps everything locked away
Chrome’s privacy-focused Incognito Mode is more private than ever before …but not for everyone. Google is testing an experimental new feature with iPhone owners that’s designed to keep a tighter lid on their internet history. When enabled, Chrome will require authentication with Face ID facial recognition before it allows you to move into Incognito Mode.
So, even if you lend your iPhone to a friend, there’s no chance they’ll be able to jump into your latest Incognito Mode browsing session. Or start one of their own, for that matter.
You’ll only need to verify your identity with Face ID the first time that you launch a new Incognito Mode tab. Google will let you continue to open more links and tabs without the need for another Face ID scan until you close the Chrome app on your iPhone. That will restart the process.
For those who don’t know, Incognito Mode stops your activity showing up in the web history menu or predictive search feature on Google, which suggests previous queries to speed-up repeat searches. While Incognito Mode is great when it comes to shopping for surprise Birthday gifts on a shared device, it doesn’t hide your activity from your internet supplier, the company that makes your Wi-Fi router, or any of the websites you’re visiting. So don’t think of it as some kind of invisibility cloak.
