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Why Google Chrome's incognito mode might not do what you think

The fine art of web browsing at work without your boss noticing appeared to get a whole lot easier when Google announced Chrome's incognito mode, a tab that will not save browsing history or cookies on a shared device.

Theoretically, it means that you could look up anything up at work without anyone knowing.

But as it turns out, incognito mode is something of a misnomer - because it doesn't actually stop your boss from seeing what you are checking out online on a shared company network.

Browsing in Google Chrome incognito mode isn't quite as private as you think it is. Source: Getty
Browsing in Google Chrome incognito mode isn't quite as private as you think it is. Source: Getty

A Google Chrome developer has revealed that incognito mode does not give its users full privacy, as many might think.

"When you launch the incognito tab there's this disclaimer there where we really try to help make it really clear to people that your activity is certainly still visible to the websites you visit and could be visible to your employer, your school, and to your [internet service provider], of course," Google's Darin Fisher told Thrillist.

It means you could still be pulled up if you decide that looking at X-rated and other contentious content on company computers is a good idea.

The warning message that appears when you launch Incognito Mode.
The warning message that appears when you launch Incognito Mode.

When browsing in incognito mode, pages you view will not show up in your browser history, cookie store or search history once you have closed the tab.

But it doesn't mean your activity is invisible to the websites you visit and it doesn't hide your browsing from your employer or service provider.

What it does do, however, is prevent other users of the same device from seeing what you've been looking at.

So, before you think about watching something NSFW on your lunch break, best advice is to think again.