Looking to learn how to open a private tab in Safari? Private browsing mode allows you browse the internet without your device logging your page history or storing cookies. We'll cover how to enable and disable private browsing in Safari.

Why You’ll Love This Tip

Shop for a gift on a device also used by the recipient of the gift (and leave no trace of your purchase!).
Keep your browsing history private.
Use someone else’s computer to log onto an account and ensure your passwords are not saved.

How to Enable & Disable Safari Private Mode

Follow the steps below to learn how to turn on private mode in Safari and how to get out of private browsing mode when you're finished searching. For more great Safari tips, check out our free Tip of the Day newsletter!

Open Safari.
Long press the tabs icon in the lower-right corner.
Tap Private to switch the current Safari tab into private browsing mode.
Tap New Private Tab to open a different tab in private browsing mode.
To turn off private browsing, long press the tabs icon again.
Tap Start Page or [#] Tabs to exit private browsing mode and return to your Safari Home page.

When you're using private browsing mode, something to keep in mind is that you will not be able to store passwords for later access. So if you want to save a password, make sure to exit private browsing and return to normal browsing!