Guest Mode vs. Incognito Mode in Google Chrome: What’s the Difference?

Let’s take a quick look at guest mode vs. incognito mode in Chrome, including what they do and when each should be used.

Incognito mode, known as private browsing in other browsers, has been around for years. While incognito, you can browse the web without Chrome saving any information about the session. When you close an incognito window, all the information about that session disappears.

This means that Chrome will not save any browsing history, cookies, or form data created in the incognito window. It also blocks functionality to reopen closed tabs with Ctrl + Shift + T and disable extensions (unless you enable them manually).

Starting an incognito session essentially opens a new browser window that the Internet has never seen before. Since there are no cookies, you are not logged into any site and none of them is personalized for you.

The Incognito mode has many uses, such as:

• Log into one of your accounts on a friend’s PC without forcing them to log out
• See what a web page looks like for the public
• Test if one of your installed extensions is breaking a website
• Bypassing the page display limits

While it’s incredibly useful, keep in mind that it’s not invisible in private browsing. Websites can still identify you, and incognito mode does not hide your browsing activity from your ISP or network administrator. You will need to connect to a VPN to increase privacy in those areas.

To open a new incognito window, open the three-dot menu and choose New incognito window or press Ctrl + Shift + N.

What is Google Chrome Guest Mode?

Google Chrome Guest mode is a separate function from the incognito mode. Take advantage of Chrome’s profile switching feature to give you a blank profile for someone who is using Chrome temporarily.

Like incognito mode, it does not save any browsing history records and disables all extensions. However, in Guest mode, the user is also unable to view or change any Chrome settings (other than the default search engine). A guest user cannot see the browsing history, bookmarks, or downloads of the main profiles.

Guest mode is most useful when browsing someone else’s computer, allowing someone to use yours, or working on a public machine.

To launch a new guest window, click the profile picker in the upper right corner of Chrome, which displays your current profile photo. Click Invited below Other people to start a new guest session.

The Differences Between Incognito and Guest mode

As we’ve seen, the incognito and guest modes in Chrome are quite similar. But the guest mode isn’t exactly the same as the incognito mode, so when should you use them?

Both are suitable when you want to erase all traces of your browsing as soon as you close the window. However, incognito mode is primarily intended for you to use on your own computer, while the guest mode is intended for using a computer that is not yours.

Therefore, the incognito mode allows the main Chrome user to navigate without recording the history, while the guest mode allows someone else to use the browser without access to the main user’s information. Both prevent any information about the session from being saved.