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12 Jun 2011 By ABradney-George

Private Browsing: Chrome Privacy Options

12 Jun

Want to make get the most out of Chrome's privacy features? Here we give you an overview of private browsing, Chrome features and other privacy options.

Maintaining privacy while browsing can be difficult on both public and personal computers, with Internet History, cookies and many other forms of data stored in web browsers and on the computer. One solution to online privacy concerns is the private browsing mode many popular internet browsers now offer.

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When it comes to privacy and browser options, Google Chrome is designed specifically with performance and privacy in mind. So how does privacy work in Google Chrome?

To browse privately, it is simply a matter of clicking on "File" and "New Incognito Window". Once you have "gone incognito", as the browser puts it, the privacy settings increase. Data that will not be stored includes:

Browser history
Search history
Download history
Cookies

While download history in Google Chrome's normal mode will not show files downloaded from an Incognito window, any files downloaded will be saved to the computer. Bookmarks created during icognito browsing will also be saved.

Disadvantages of Chrome Privacy Options

As a disclaimer, Google has noted that going incognito will not affect the actions of other people, network servers or software. For this reason, Google suggests being careful when dealing with websites collecting personal information, internet service providers, employers who may track online behaviour, as well as simple things like "people standing behind you".

Another consideration is that the extensions in Google Chrome will be automatically disabled for incognito windows. It is possible to enable them individually through the extensions manager, however, that could be time-consuming and for the extension-savvy user it may even end up taking longer than it would to delete the internet history and cookies after a normal browsing session.

Other Privacy Options

When using Google Chrome there are also a number of other privacy options that can be utilized for more secure browsing. These features include:

Customizable privacy preferences
Easy data clearing options
Control over preferences for cookies, images, JavaScript, and plugins on a site-by-site basis
An opt-out option for ad personalization features

Whether for content reasons, anti spam precautions or a basic desire for more privacy, there are options available in Google Chrome that can help. The customizable nature of the browser means that these settings can be kept in place for a more convenient, private browsing experience every time.