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Open the Incognito and New Tabs in Chrome on Android

Are you juggling with pages and tabs in Google Chrome on Android? Learn how to start incognito or private browsing. Also, open a New Tab.

Google Chrome browser support the private browsing mode or incognito mode, which technically doesn’t save any information such as browsing history, cookies, cache, etc. You can open multiple tabs and switch between the normal and the incognito tab for safe browsing from the options menu.

Start Incognito Mode or Private Window in Chrome browser

The browser tabbing feature is available in all browsers, irrespective of mobile or desktop. It gives the ability to open separate tabs for browsing. These tabs make web browsing easier and help with multitasking. For a desktop, you can also open new windows and tabs.

Generally, we can use two tabbing features on hand-held devices – New Tab & Incognito Tab. The primary difference between these two is the incognito mode’s extreme privacy.

The incognito or private mode in Chrome browser won’t save any information or data anywhere on the machine after closing unless you’ve downloaded something.

The incognito mode comes in handy when you’ve borrowed someone’s else device and do not want to leave any browsing history on their device.

Open New Tab in Chrome for Android

The new tab is just a normal browsing tab with your Google account signed in. It stores the history as well as cache & cookies when you are browsing websites. You can add unlimited tabs and switch between them easily on Android phones. Here are the  steps to open a New Tab:

  1. Open the Chrome app on your Android device.
  2. Tap on the More vertical 3-dots icon menu, and select the New Tab option.
    New Tab under Menu options in Chrome AndroidIt will launch the new tab in the browser.

Alternatively, you can tap the Multitab multi tab icon to open Tab Overview and select the + New Tab command to start a new browsing tab.

Chrome Android Multi-tab icon for Tab Overview

The Tabs Overview option also allows you to manage the open tabs and close the ones that are no longer required.

Open New Tab and Close a Tab in Chrome Android from Tab Overview screen

The tabs will run until you manually close the tab using the X button OR terminate the Chrome browser from the task manager.

Start Incognito Browsing in Chrome Android

Unlike the standard tab, the new Incognito tab in Chrome will not save any data in the browser. Your browsing history, cookies & cache, etc., are temporarily stored and immediately wiped out on closing the incognito browsing session.

Hence, you can’t even open recently closed tabs in Chrome Android while browsing in incognito mode. Follow these steps to start Incognito mode:

  1. Open the Chrome app on your Android.
  2. Tap the More vertical 3dots icon menu for options and select New Incognito Tab from the list.
    Open New Incognito Tab in Chrome for Android option menu

If you want to add more incognito tabs, tap the Multi-tab icon multi tab icon in incognito mode. Hit the Plus plus add icon icon to add more incognito tabs in the same session.

To close the incognito tab:

  1. Tap on Multitab multi tab icon while in incognito mode to list all running tabs.
  2. To close it, Hit the X button against each incognito tab.

The incognito tab will be closed, and all the history and browsing data will be deleted. You can also kill the Chrome browser app from the task manager to close Chrome’s incognito tab on an Android device.

You can also set a lock for Incognito mode to safeguard your private browsing session.

Switch between Normal and Incognito Mode

  1. Launch the Chrome browser on your Android.
  2. Tap on the Multitab multi tab icon tabs next to the menu.
    You’ll be able to see all the tabs that you have opened.
  3. Select the Incognito icon to switch to view all Incognito tabs.
    Switch between New Tab and Incognito Tab in Chrome for AndroidYou’ll be able to see the list of the incognito tabs.
  4. Select the tab that you wish to open.

You can also close a particular tab from the available list.

In the case of the standard tabs, you can revisit the same sites from the history, but in the case of the Incognito tab, all the data will be erased.

Bottom Line

The tabs play an essential role in multitasking and simultaneous browsing. Moreover, if you want to browse or sign in to your online account using someone else’s phone, ensure you use the incognito tab for safety.

As mentioned above, you can enable incognito mode on a Chrome computer. This works similarly to Chrome for the Android browser.

FAQs

What is the process to open a new incognito tab in Chrome for Android?

To open a new incognito tab in Chrome for Android, tap on the three vertical dots located at the top right corner of the browser window. From the menu that appears, select “New incognito tab.” This will open a new tab where your browsing history and activities won’t be saved.

Is there a quick way to open an incognito tab in Chrome for Android without going through the menu?

Yes, there is a shortcut to open an incognito tab directly in Chrome for Android. You can simply long-press the Chrome icon on your home screen or app drawer, and a menu will appear with an option to “Open new incognito tab.” Tapping on this option will launch a new incognito tab right away.

How do I open a regular (non-incognito) new tab in Chrome for Android?

To open a regular new tab in Chrome for Android, tap on the three vertical dots at the top right corner of the browser window and then select “New tab.” This will open a standard browsing tab.

Can I use a URL to directly open Chrome in incognito mode on my Android phone?

Yes, you can use a specific URL to open Chrome directly in incognito mode on your Android phone. Simply type “chrome-native://newtab/incognito” in the address bar and hit Enter. This will automatically open a new incognito tab without going through the regular Chrome menu.

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Kushal Azza

Kushal Azza

Kushal Azza is a Google Certified IT Professional, Digital Content Creator, and Go-To Digital Marketer. He has over a decade of experience solving tech problems, troubleshooting, and creating digital solutions. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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