Is Incognito mode truly private? Can you still recover sites you've visited or images you've searched for?

[Anonymous]

If you're on your phone using Incognito mode, can you still recover sites you've visited or images you've searched for? Isn't Incognito mode private and non-traceable (unless you're a cop or something)? I'm not talking about police recovering it or anything. I mean can YOU personally find a way to recover images or sites you've (or someone else has) been to on a cell phone in Incognito Mode?

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An Android phone by the way. I saw an article that said Android does not STORE Incognito history on its devices and advises you to install a tracking app like parental controls. So, in other words, a regular person with no 3rd party apps could just simply check the Incognito browsing history like they could their usual/standard browsing history, right?

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What if showed you were NOT logged in to Google account when you did a Google search in Incognito? Like instead of your name, it said "login"? Does that mean you weren't tracked on YOUR Google account since you were not automatically logged in (even though you ARE logged into your Google account on your phone otherwise)?

[MrOracle]

All "Incognito Mode" does is prevent your local browser from recording your usage history - it doesn't prevent GOOGLE from saving your searches, and it doesn't prevent your ISP (who, I assure you, logs everything you do) from knowing where you go, and if you are on someone else's network, it doesn't prevent whoever controls that network from tracking you. "Incognito Mode" is only there to prevent people from casually be able to look at your history. Anyone who is SERIOUS about tracking you won't have any trouble doing so if they can have physical access to your network, much less your PC/device.

A VPN would give you someone better security, but a VPN doesn't prevent your own browser from tracking you, and it also won't prevent your search engine company from tracking your searches. Privacy requires multiple tools and strict practices all used correctly all at the same time.

[Asker]

I know if someone REALLY wants to, they can definitely track you. That's why police can find a lot of info that is "hidden". WE, as normal civilians can't because we have no need. Same with why stalkers know so much. They WILL track you. Trackers on your car, spy apps on your phone... insane stuff. I was just wondering if you were not logged into your Google account (it said click to login) while you were searching in Incognito, would it show up on your Google search history in your account still or no?

[MrOracle]

It won't show up on your own Google history because you weren't logged in, but that doesn't mean that GOOGLE can't tie that activity to you. They'll still have data available that they could tie that activity to your browser and your IP address. They're not going to include that in your account, but that doesn't mean they can't do it.

But don't forget that your ISP (Internet Service Provider) also is going to have logs, and even if they can't see the actual content for everything (most data is encrypted these days), they CAN see the metadata of which sites you accessed and how much data got sent in and out. And lots of stuff is still unencrypted and they can log every bit of that.

[TallAnon]

Incognito just means it doesn't *locally* keep track of your browsing. Any external logging does not care, like your isp or the websites you visit.

[Apple1996]

If you are using it on wifi it's easy to check on there what websites were visited even if using incognito. Might be able to do it with the phone company as well if using data

[Asker]

Would you have to directly ask the company? I saw an article that said if on incognito with Android phones, you can really only access it from a 3rd party app.

[Anonymous]

I know googles vpn for one is heavily flawed. Most sites see straight through it.

[Asker]

No VPNs involved. Just going on your phone or computer's internet as incognito.

[Opinion Owner]

Then I wouldn't know. I use duckduckgo browser. They claim to be good at hiding searches and such. I've never had reason to check. I'm pretty sure from a legal standpoint info is still stored in the tech should police need to hack it. You'd need a tech expert to answer that properly.

[Asker]

Well, yes. I know from legal aspects, the police have special ways to see things the general public cannot. That is for a reason. I was just talking about standard incognito mode on an Android without a parental control app.

[Opinion Owner]

Okay. Then my knowledge is drained. I use apple. Good luck

[Asker]

Oh, ok. I seen another article that said Android itself does not STORE any incognito history on the actual device. So I don't know. It automatically deletes browser history after a "private" session too. So sounds like you'd just have to really dig for it and likely contact your provider if you REALLY needed it for some reason. Seems like way too much hassle in my opinion lol

[Opinion Owner]

That sounds good.