Chrome's Incognito mode keeps your browsing history, cookies, cache, and site data off your Android device. Regular new tabs stay signed in to your Google account and save history as usual.
Chrome 141 added a one-tap Incognito shortcut on the New Tab Page. Use it, or fall back to the three-dot menu and tab switcher, to open Incognito and new tabs in Chrome on Android.
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Open the Incognito and New Tabs in Chrome on Android
Need a private browsing session in Chrome on Android without leaving history on your phone? Incognito mode in Chrome keeps history, cookies, cache, and form entries off your device.
A regular new tab uses your signed-in Google account, so Chrome saves history and site data for pages you open there. Chrome 141 added a one-tap Incognito shortcut on the New Tab Page. If your phone runs an older build, the three-dot menu and tab switcher still work the same way.
You’ll know you’re in Incognito when Chrome switches to the dark theme and shows the hat-and-glasses icon.
Open an Incognito tab in Chrome for Android
If you want to open a private tab in Chrome on Android, you have two options. The New Tab Page shortcut is faster on Chrome 141 and newer. The three-dot menu is the fallback that works on older builds and current ones.
Use the Incognito shortcut on the New Tab Page
This path is available on Chrome 141 and newer for Android.
- Open the Chrome app on your Android phone.
- Tap the Tabs icon at the top, then tap + New Tab to land on the New Tab Page.
- Look directly below the address bar for a row of shortcut chips. Tap the Incognito chip with the hat-and-glasses icon.
Chrome opens a private tab right away with the dark Incognito theme. Browse as usual, then close the tab to clear the session.
TIP: If the Incognito chip doesn’t appear on your phone, update Chrome from the Google Play Store or use the three-dot menu method below.
Use the three-dot menu
This path works on every recent Chrome build.
- Open the Google Chrome app on your Android.
- Tap the
menu in the top-right corner. - Select New Incognito Tab.
Chrome opens a private tab with the dark theme and hat-and-glasses icon. Browse as usual, then close the tab to end the session and wipe its data.
Chrome doesn’t save browsing history, cookies, or site data from Incognito tabs to your device. That means you can’t open recently closed tabs from an Incognito session. Google’s Incognito mode help page explains exactly what is and isn’t saved.
Open a new tab in Chrome for Android
If you want a tab that stays tied to your Google account, open a new tab in Chrome on Android. Chrome saves history, cache, and cookies for pages you open there, so you can revisit them from history or reopen them after a restart.
Use the tabs switcher
- Open the Chrome app on your Android device.
- Tap the Tabs icon at the top of the screen.
- Tap + New Tab at the top of the tab grid.
Chrome opens a fresh New Tab Page where you can search or load a URL. You’ll know it worked when the address bar is empty and ready for input.
Use the three-dot menu
You can also tap in the top-right corner of Chrome and select New Tab. The new tab opens in the foreground.
To close a tab, open the Tabs switcher and tap the button on its card, or swipe the card sideways. Tabs stay open until you close them manually or force-quit Chrome from the Recents screen.
Add and close multiple tabs
Sometimes you want several pages open at once. Normal and Incognito tabs both support multiple tabs in the same session.
- Tap the Tabs icon while in any browsing mode.
- Tap the + button at the top of the grid to add another tab.
Chrome adds the tab to the right group (Normal or Incognito) without leaving it. You can repeat this to keep several tabs open at once.
To close a tab, tap the button on its card in the tab grid, or swipe a card sideways. Closing every Incognito tab ends the session and clears the history and browsing data Chrome stored for it. Force-quitting Chrome from the Recents screen has the same effect.
Switch between Normal and Incognito tabs
If you have both normal and private tabs open in Chrome on Android, the tab switcher keeps them in separate groups. A dedicated Incognito entry sits at the top of the grid so you can switch without closing anything.
- Open the Chrome app on your Android.
- Tap the Tabs icon to see all open tabs.
- Tap the Incognito hat-and-glasses icon at the top of the grid to view private tabs, or tap the regular tabs icon to go back.
- Tap any tab card to open it. You can also tap the button on a card to close it.
Switching groups never closes the other one, so you can leave Normal tabs open while you browse privately. When you finish with Incognito, close every tab in that group and Chrome clears its data.
If you want an extra layer of privacy on top of Incognito, you can set a lock for Incognito mode. The same approach works on incognito mode on a Chrome computer, where Ctrl+Shift+N opens an Incognito window.
For iPhone or iPad users, the steps to open Incognito and new tabs in Chrome on iPhone or iPad use the same three-dot menu but a slightly different layout. If you prefer a browser that starts in private mode, see how to open private tabs in Firefox on Android.
Microsoft Edge on Android uses a similar tab grid for InPrivate tabs and new tabs. Opera on Android also keeps private mode and new tabs in the same menu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Incognito button in Chrome on Android?
On Chrome 141 and newer, tap the Tabs icon, then + New Tab, and look for the Incognito chip just below the address bar. If you don’t see it, use the > New Incognito Tab path instead.
Can I open more than one Incognito tab at a time?
Yes. While in Incognito mode, tap the Tabs icon and then the + button to add another private tab. Chrome keeps every Incognito tab open in the same session until you close them.
Does Incognito mode save my browsing history?
Chrome doesn’t save browsing history, cookies, site data, or form entries from Incognito tabs to your Android device. Once you close every Incognito tab, that session’s data is wiped from Chrome.
How do I switch back to my regular tabs from Incognito?
Tap the Tabs icon, then tap the regular tabs icon (instead of the Incognito hat-and-glasses icon) at the top of the grid. Your Normal tabs open right where you left them.
Can I lock Incognito tabs on Android?
Yes. Chrome for Android lets you require device unlock before opening Incognito tabs. See how to enable or disable lock for Incognito on Chrome for the full step-by-step.
How to prevent incognito tabs from closing down automatically.
On my phone the tabs stay for a few hours and close down automatically later on.
How do i fix this on my android phone?
Hi Krishna, I don’t think this is the issue with Chrome. Perhaps this is how the new Android is working. It will try to kill the old running sessions to make RAM space available for new tasks and apps. I don’t think you got an option to disable this auto-kill.