How to use incognito mode and private tabs in mobile browsers to protect privacy?

Incognito mode or private tabs in mobile browsers are designed so that users can browse web pages without saving visit history, cache, and cookies on the device itself. When you close all private tabs, the browser automatically erases information about which sites you opened and the search queries you entered. This is especially useful if you are using someone else's smartphone or want to hide your browsing habits from other device users.

To open a private tab in mobile Google Chrome, tap the tab switcher icon in the top right corner of the screen, and then swipe left or right to switch to incognito tabs, or tap the plus icon in the special panel. A dark theme and a warning will appear on the screen stating that your actions are not visible to other people using this device, but internet service providers or owners of visited sites can still see your network activity.

In mobile Safari on iPhone, creating a private tab is done via the tab management menu. Press and hold the two overlapping squares icon in the bottom right corner of the screen, then select the new private tab option from the appearing context menu. In iOS, private tabs also provide additional protection by blocking known trackers on pages and requiring identity confirmation via Face ID or Touch ID when returning to the session.

It is important to understand that incognito mode does not make you completely anonymous on the internet. It only prevents the local saving of your browsing traces in the smartphone's memory. If you require complete privacy when transferring data, it is better to use specialized applications with traffic encryption functionality or use trusted virtual private networks before starting work in the browser.