Browse privately in Safari on iPhone

You can view the Privacy Report and adjust settings in the Safari app to keep your browsing activities private, and help protect yourself from malicious websites.

Visit sites without making history

You can use Private Browsing Mode to open private tabs, which don’t appear in History on iPhone or in the list of tabs on your other devices.

Tap .
Tap in the bottom center of the Tab bar at the bottom of the screen, then tap Private.
The tab is automatically added to a Tab Group called Private. You can open multiple private tabs in the group.

You can easily confirm that you’re in Private Browsing Mode by checking that the search field bar is gray or displays the word Private.

To hide the sites and exit Private Browsing Mode, tap , then tap to open a different Tab Group from the menu at the bottom of your screen. The private sites reappear the next time you use Private Browsing Mode.

To close private tabs, tap , then swipe left each of the tabs you want to close.

View the Privacy Report

Safari helps prevent trackers from following you across websites and viewing your IP address. You can review the Privacy Report to see a summary of trackers that have been encountered and prevented by Intelligent Tracking Prevention on the current webpage you’re visiting. You can also review and adjust Safari settings to keep your browsing activities private from others who use the same device, and help protect yourself from malicious websites.

To view the Privacy Report, tap , then tap Privacy Report .

Use iCloud Private Relay to browse the web with more privacy

When you subscribe to iCloud+, you can use iCloud Private Relay (beta) to help prevent websites and network providers from creating a detailed profile about you. When iCloud Private Relay is turned on, the traffic leaving your iPhone is encrypted and sent through two separate internet relays. This prevents websites from seeing your IP address and location and network providers from collecting your browsing activity. A website or a network provider won’t simultaneously know both who you are and what websites you visit. See Turn on iCloud Private Relay.

Control privacy and security settings for Safari

Go to Settings > Safari, then below Privacy & Security, turn any of the following on or off:

Prevent Cross-Site Tracking: Safari limits third-party cookies and data by default. Turn this option off to allow cross-site tracking.
Hide IP address: Safari automatically protects your IP address from known trackers. For eligible iCloud+ subscribers, your IP address is protected from trackers and websites as you browse in Safari. If this option is off, your IP address isn’t hidden.
Block All Cookies: Turn this option on to prevent websites from adding cookies to your iPhone. (To remove cookies already on iPhone, go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data.)
Fraudulent Website Warning: Safari displays a warning if you’re visiting a suspected phishing website. Turn this option off if you don’t want to be warned of fraudulent websites.
Privacy Preserving Ad Measurement: This prevents websites from viewing your personal information to serve you targeted ads.
Check for Apple Pay: Websites that use Apple Pay can check to see if you have Apple Pay enabled on your device. Turn this option off to prevent websites from checking if you have Apple Pay.

When you visit a website using Safari that isn’t secure, a warning appears in the Safari search field.

Helpful?

iPhone User Guide

Browse privately in Safari on iPhone

Visit sites without making history

View the Privacy Report

Use iCloud Private Relay to browse the web with more privacy

Control privacy and security settings for Safari