How to see and delete incognito history

If you care about your privacy, it’s always a good idea to browse using incognito mode, also known as private browsing or privacy mode. Remember though, incognito mode doesn’t mean anonymous. It can stop the browser from logging your history, but everything you do is still visible to anyone watching.

We’ll go through what incognito mode is, what’s visible while using this mode, and how you can increase your privacy even further.

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Jump to…
What does incognito mode do?
Does incognito mode save your browsing history?
How to see incognito history
How to delete incognito history
How to hide your browsing activity and increase anonymity

What is incognito mode?

Incognito mode is a privacy feature in most web browsers that lets you browse the web without storing certain data on your device. When you’re in incognito mode, your browsing history, cookies, and site data are not saved once you close the window. 

Using incognito mode means websites you visit won’t appear in your history, and any logins or searches won’t be remembered after your session ends. It’s handy for private searches, logging into multiple accounts, or shopping for surprise gifts. However, incognito mode doesn’t make you invisible online—your ISP, employer, or the websites you visit can still track your activity.

What does incognito mode do?

What incognito mode does:

• No browsing history. When using incognito mode, your browsing history is not stored by your browser (but as you’ll see, it could be stored in more hidden places on your device). It helps maintain your privacy if you’re sharing a device and don’t want others to see your browsing history.
• No autofill or remembering passwords. Incognito mode disables the autofill feature, so your usernames, passwords, and other form data are not saved. This can be useful if you’re using a public computer or someone else’s device, as it reduces the risk of your login credentials being saved or accessed by others.
• Limited cookies and tracking. Incognito mode restricts the use of cookies and other tracking mechanisms, making it harder for websites to track your online activities and serve targeted advertisements. 

What incognito mode doesn’t do:

• Anonymity. Incognito mode does not make you completely anonymous online. While it prevents your local device from storing browsing history, websites you visit, your internet service provider (ISP), and network administrators can still track your activities. It doesn’t hide your IP address or encrypt your internet connection.
• Security. Incognito mode does not provide additional security measures. It doesn’t protect you from malware, phishing attacks, or other online threats.
• Activity concealment. Incognito mode doesn’t hide your activities from the websites you visit. Website owners, internet service providers, and network administrators can still monitor your online behavior.

While incognito mode provides some level of privacy, it’s important to know its limits. It doesn’t hide your IP address or encrypt your data, so you’re still visible to websites, advertisers, and your network provider. 

Incognito mode also won’t protect against malware or block trackers completely. If you need stronger privacy, ExpressVPN offers more robust protection. Our VPN encrypts your connection, shielding your searches from view and protecting you from annoying ads or malware. We also have a strict no-logs policy, so we don’t log anything about your browsing session either.

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Does incognito mode save your browsing history?

No, when using incognito mode, the browser doesn’t keep a record of the websites you visit, the search queries you enter, or the cookies and temporary files associated with your browsing session. 

However, certain tricks can allow you to find out what someone browsed while using incognito mode. You’ll have to check the DNS cache on your computer or use third-party apps or browser extensions. Using obscure apps can come with privacy and security risks, so consider each one carefully before doing so.

How to see incognito history

If you are using a Windows or Mac computer, it is possible to access your incognito history by examining the DNS cache. You can also record your incognito history using browser extensions. Here’s how these methods work.

On Windows PC

If you’re using a Windows device, you can see your incognito history in your DNS cache, even after your browsing session ends. The Domain Name System (DNS) matches a website’s URL with its IP address. When you type a URL into your web browser, a DNS server finds the IP address of that website so you can actually visit it. This information is recorded in the DNS cache even when you’re browsing incognito. The DNS cache helps speed up your browsing by ensuring your browser doesn’t have to check the DNS server every time to revisit a site.

If you need to recover or clear your incognito history—or delete your browsing history entirely—you can do it via the DNS cache on a Windows device.

Here’s how to check your browsing history via the DNS cache:

1. Click the Start menu
2. Type cmd in the search bar to open Command Prompt
3. Click Run as administrator
4. Enter the command
5. ipconfig/displaydns
6. Hit Enter. You’ll see your DNS cache history.

On macOS

On an Apple computer, incognito history can also be found in the DNS cache. When you navigate to a website, the name of the site is translated into an IP address when your Mac consults a DNS directory. To avoid having to consult the directory every time you visit a site, the records of sites you visit are cached. Viewing that cache isn’t easy, but it can be done. You’ll need to use both the Console and Terminal applications. Here’s how.

1. Go to Applications > Utilities and open Console
2. Select your Mac in the sidebar under Devices
3. In the search box, type:
4. any:mdnsresponder
5. Press the Start button in the toolbar
6. Go back to Applications > Utilities and open Terminal
7. Type the following into Terminal:
8. sudo killall -INFO mDNSResponder
9. Press Enter
10. Type in your admin password
11. Go back to the Console app, and you’ll be able to see the cached DNS records

With browser extensions

There are Chrome browser extensions out there that promise to record all browsing history, including incognito history. These tend to have strong stalkerware vibes, so we don’t condone their use—they seem creepy and unethical. 

However, Off the Record History is one to try. It is designed to give you more flexibility with incognito browsing by allowing you to save your history for a few days and delete it manually sooner than that. Simply add the extension to Chrome, then ensure that you adjust your settings for the extension to “Allow in incognito.”

On Android and iOS devices

You cannot retrieve incognito history using DNS cache. But you can set up your phone to record incognito browsing history by using third-party tracking apps. For example, there are parental control apps which, if installed on a kid’s phone, will reveal all their browsing activity, including incognito. Stalkerware apps can also serve this purpose, but, again, we don’t condone their use.

How to delete incognito history

In general, you don’t have to do anything to delete incognito history—it’s not saved by your browser. Only someone determined to snoop on it will find it using the above methods. If you want to get rid of any trace of your incognito browsing history, here’s how to clear your DNS cache on various devices.

On Windows

Here’s how to clear your DNS cache:

1. Click the Start menu
2. Type cmd in the search bar to open Command Prompt
3. Click Run as administrator
4. Enter the command
5. ipconfig/flushdns
6. Hit Enter

On macOS

Flush your DNS cache on macOS with these steps:

1. Go back to Applications > Utilities and open Terminal
2. Type the following into Terminal:
3. sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
4. Press Enter
5. Type in your admin password

Who can see your search history in incognito?

Incognito mode is a convenient way to ensure your browsing history is not easily visible to anyone else who uses your computer. But your online activity may still be visible to numerous third parties. These include:

• Internet service providers. Your ISP can monitor and track your online activities. 
• Websites and online services. When you visit websites or use online services, they can collect information about your activities.
• Government agencies. Depending on your jurisdiction, government agencies may have the authority to monitor online activities for security, law enforcement, or intelligence purposes.
• Network administrators. If you are using a network provided by an organization, such as a school or workplace, network administrators can monitor and log your internet activities.

How to hide your search history

Even in incognito mode, your activity is still visible to anyone monitoring you. There are a few things you can try to hide your search history. Here are our top tips.

1. Use a VPN

The simplest way to hide your browsing—incognito or otherwise—from third parties, is by using a VPN. A VPN encrypts your traffic, making it indecipherable to anyone trying to see what you’re doing. It also gives you a different IP address, making it much harder for anyone to figure out who you are or profile you based on your interests. 

ExpressVPN uses industry-leading encryption to hide your traffic. Everything you do while connected travels through a private, encrypted tunnel that no one else can get into. Your search queries, frequently visited websites, and online communications travel through the tunnel. This gives you an added anonymity boost because no one can see your search history. It’s not logged anywhere either thanks to our strict no-logs policy. 

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2. Use a secure web browser

Not all browsers are created equal when it comes to privacy. Some are specifically designed to block trackers and ads, while others offer advanced security features. Choose a browser that prioritizes private browsing to keep your sessions more secure.

3. Clear browser data regularly

Incognito mode doesn’t automatically erase all traces of your browsing. Clear your browser’s cache, cookies, and history regularly to prevent websites from keeping records of your activity. This will ensure there are no traces left from your browsing sessions.

4. Delete DNS cache

The DNS cache stores information about domain names and IP addresses of websites you’ve visited. This helps speed up future access to these sites. However, it also means that records of your browsing activity might be kept. 

By deleting the DNS cache, you remove these records, reducing the risk of your activity being traced. This step helps ensure that no lingering data could potentially reveal which sites you visited while in Incognito Mode.