Use Private Browsing in Safari on Mac
When you use Private Browsing windows, the details of your browsing aren’t saved and the websites you visit aren’t shared with your other devices.
Open a Private Browsing window
In the Safari app
on your Mac, choose File > New Private Window, or switch to a Safari window that’s already using Private Browsing. A window that’s using Private Browsing has a dark Smart Search field with white text.When you use a Private Browsing window:
Browsing initiated in one tab is isolated from browsing initiated in another tab, so websites you visit can’t track your browsing across multiple sessions.
Webpages you visit and your AutoFill information aren’t saved.
Your open webpages aren’t stored in iCloud, so they aren’t shown when you view all your open tabs from other devices.
Your recent searches aren’t included in the results list when you use the Smart Search field.
Items you download aren’t included in the downloads list. (The items do remain on your computer.)
If you use Handoff, Private Browsing windows are not passed to your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or other Mac computers.
Changes to your cookies and website data aren’t saved.
Websites can’t modify information stored on your device, so services normally available at such sites may work differently until you turn off Private Browsing.
Note: None of the above applies in other Safari windows you may have open that don’t use Private Browsing.
Always open windows with Private Browsing
In the Safari app
on your Mac, choose Safari > Preferences, then click General.Click the “Safari opens with” pop-up menu, then choose “A new private window.”
If you don’t see this option, choose Apple menu
> System Preferences, click General, then make sure “Close windows when quitting an app” is selected.
Stop Private Browsing
In the Safari app
on your Mac, close the Private Browsing window, switch to a different Safari window that isn’t using Private Browsing, or choose File > New Window to open a window that doesn’t use Private Browsing. To further enhance privacy:Delete any items you downloaded while using Private Browsing windows.
Close any other Private Browsing windows that are still open, to prevent other people from using the Back and Forward buttons to see pages you visited in them.
Besides using Private Browsing windows, you can manage cookies and data stored by all websites and prevent cross-site tracking.
If you forget to use a Private Browsing window, you can clear your browsing history.