Today the most popular browser is Google Chrome. If we have our account synchronized, Google offers us many possibilities, such as managing our passwords, sending and sending emails, as well as allowing us to work in the cloud with Google Drive. Generally, most users use Chrome on their own computer and at most they share it with people they trust. However, Google thinks of all kinds of users. So think of all those who have to lend their equipment, such as those who are forced to use it on a public computer at any given time. In this tutorial we are going to take a deep look at the incognito and guest mode in Chrome, in which we will see their differences and how they improve privacy.
It should be noted that both incognito and guest mode have been part of Chrome for quite some time. It should also be noted that both incognito and guest mode in Chrome are available to us by default, so we don’t have to install anything. In short, these are two different temporary ways of using our browser. Both modes are designed to preserve our security and privacy up to certain limits and we will explain them below.
What is and how does guest mode work?
The guest mode can be defined as an option in our browser that allows us to create an independent profile that works in isolation so that it cannot compromise our data or that of other users. One issue to keep in mind is that the activity that we perform in the guest mode in Chrome will not be registered. For example, if we enter this mode and press the three option buttons, we see that the History option, among others, has disappeared.
In addition, the moment we close the guest mode window, all this information that we have viewed on that computer is eliminated. In that aspect, there would be no trace of the actions that we have carried out while browsing. On the other hand, if we open this mode again we will have a new profile and a totally independent session from which we will start from scratch.
An important thing is that, although the navigation data or cookies are not saved, the files that we download in that session are stored on the hard drive, USB memory or device that we indicate. Among the features offered by the guest mode in Chrome we have:
- An independent profile to work with.
- That user will not have access to the history or the saved passwords or any other data stored in the browser.
- You will not be able to modify any browser settings so there is no risk of something being misconfigured.
- It is temporary and when you close it, you lose everything except the downloaded files as we mentioned before.
How to access guest mode
If we want to access the guest mode in Chrome it is a very easy procedure to do. The first thing we have to do is open the browser. Next, we have to go to the upper right corner where the icon of our user is located and that you have indicated with a red arrow.
Then, all we have to do is go to the Other profiles section and click on Guest .
Once all this process is done, a temporary and independent profile will be created for us and we will be using the guest mode in Chrome.
If we make a comparison of the guest mode screen in Chrome with the initial one before opening it, it can be seen that the extensions that we have installed do not appear. All we have is a clean window, with nothing, where we can navigate and download if necessary.
Incognito mode in Google Chrome
This mode can be found in most current browsers and surely you have used it on more than one occasion. Although it has quite a few things in common with the guest, they also have some differences.
The incognito mode of Google Chrome basically what it allows is that we can navigate without our data being in the registry. One thing that differentiates it from guest mode is that some data from our main profile such as bookmarks would be available. In addition, our saved passwords are also accessible and on the other hand all the sessions of the websites and services that we use will be closed, so we could not use them until your credentials were entered.
As for entering this option it is very simple. What we have to do is go to the upper right corner and click on the button with the three vertical options points. There what we have to do is click on New incognito window .
Next, we will see a darker window, and we will see a screen that tells us that we are using Chrome’s incognito mode:
One important thing to keep in mind is that the extensions that we have installed in Chrome will not work. In that aspect we will not be able to save logins since when we exit all the data will be erased.
However, one of the most outstanding aspects of this way is that we can access our bookmarks so that we can access the sites that we have saved more quickly. In this mode, you have to be very careful with what you do, because the changes we make can affect the browser settings unlike the guest in Chrome that could not make changes.
Things to keep in mind regarding safety
Both incognito and guest mode in Chrome can protect privacy from users who promptly lend our equipment. However, in terms of security, it will not protect it because we could download malware or other harmful software. In this article we recommend having an updated antivirus and the operating system with the latest updates to reduce these risks. We must also use common sense and not download files from disreputable websites.
On the other hand, if you look at the screen in incognito mode, it warns us that our activity could be monitored by the web pages we visit, our Internet provider and they could also do it in companies or educational centers. The same could also apply to guest mode in Chrome. If we want to avoid it, then we would have to use solutions such as a preferably paid VPN to avoid privacy leaks.
As you have seen, there are differences between the incognito mode and the guest mode of Chrome, depending on our needs we can use one mode or another to protect our privacy.
