The incognito mode comes in handy when you want to browse the internet without leaving your traces. It ensures the browser doesn’t remember your activity (browsing history, cookies, site data, details filled in forms, and even third-party cookies). However, if you're a parent trying to keep a tab on your child's online activity, chances are you want to learn how to turn off incognito mode on Android phones to prevent your child from boycotting you.
In this article, we’ll tell you how to disable private browsing on Android devices and how to prevent your children from opening them. And while there's no single-click way to do that, there are still a few ways to achieve your aim. That includes setting up parental controls, using third-party app blockers, or getting a browser that doesn’t support incognito mode.
How to turn off incognito mode on Android phones
Before we go deep into ‘blocking’ incognito mode on Android phones, you need to be aware it comes in two parts:
- Do you want to close the incognito tab on your browser to end the private session?
- Or, do you wish to disable the feature 'completely' so your children won't have access to it?
If it’s the former, then it’s pretty simple.
Once you open an incognito tab on your mobile browser, you'll automatically see a sticky notification asking if you want to exit the private mode. Depending on the browser you're using, the notification may read “Close all Incognito Tabs” (Chrome), “Close all In Private Tab” (Edge), or whatever the developer calls it. Once you’re done with your private session, you can close all the incognito tabs by clicking the notification.
Alternatively, you can close incognito mode from the browser interface:
- Open the browser app
- Tap the tab switcher
- Switch to the incognito section, then close all the tabs there.
However, if you’re in for parental controls, follow the next guide to ‘completely’ remove incognito mode from your Android browser.
How do I disable incognito mode?
There are two (maybe three) ways to remove incognito mode from an Android phone browser.
- By using Google’s Family Link (Parental control)
- Using a third-party app.
- Using a browser that doesn’t support Incognito browsing.
Using Google’s Family Link
Google already provides several ways to help you keep a tab on your children's activities through the Family Link & Digital Wellbeing app. And that’s the easiest way to remove incognito mode on your child’s browser on Android.
First things first, you’ll want to make sure your child meets the age requirements (which could vary in different countries.) Once that’s out of the way, link your Google account to the child's account and set up parental control using Family Link on the kid's phone.
Google will automatically block incognito browsing on Google Chrome for the child. Besides that, Family Link also provides web filtering, device location tracking, screen time monitoring, and others, if you wish.
Using a third-party app
Another method on how to turn off incognito mode on Android phones is to use a third-party app. Such an app will block incognito tabs instantly on the Google Chrome browser and request a password on further attempts. Incognito tab blockers are created solely for parents who want to prevent their children from browsing privately or otherwise becoming exposed to filthy things.
Below are some private tab blockers for Google Chrome. You can get them on the Play Store for a bare fee, and they are easy to set up.
- Incognito Away
- In coquito
Well, private tab-blocking apps might not be the best option. Of course, it works only for Google Chrome, and if you have a clever child (not even tech-savvy), bypassing them might not be an issue. Your child might get another browser or even get rid of the app completely.
Meanwhile, you may deny your child the ability to alter the app by safeguarding it with an App Lock. Many TECNO and Infinix phones come with a robust, in-built App Locker, and even if yours doesn't have one, there are tons of them on the Play Store.
Using a browser that doesn’t support Incognito browsing
Of course, your last trick on how to turn off incognito mode on Android phones is to use a browser that doesn't have the feature at all. Well, that might be scarce and not as feature-rich as standard browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and the rest.
Nonetheless, if it’s for your child’s protection, it might be worth trying. Just search for “Browser without incognito mode” on the Play Store and install one or several of them to see if they provide a solution.
How do I disable incognito mode in Chrome?
It's simple. You can either set up Google's Family Link (Parental Control) or use a paid third-party app, as mentioned earlier.
If you choose the latter, here’s how to turn off incognito mode on Android phones with Incoquioto.
- Install Incoquito on your phone and launch it.
- Grant the required permissions to turn it on
- Tap Mode to select what happens when you open an incognito tab on Chrome.
That's probably all you need, but you can go through the options available to set your preferences. We recommend you enable the option to hide Incoqssuito from the app drawer and set a security lock to prevent your child from altering the settings.
Final Thoughts
Can you turn off incognito mode on an Android phone? Well, it’s YES and NO.
If you’re a parent trying to monitor your child’s activity online, setting up an incognito tab blocker might be fruitless because it's easy to defeat. If your child is aware, he/she might decide to use another browser or even find a way to do things behind you.
If it involves a more important issue, talking it out with your kid might be the perfect solution. I hope that helps.
