Many of us use private or incognito mode when surfing to hide our browsing history from others. However, although your browsing history is not actually recorded in this mode, traces of your online activities can still remain on your device — meaning others can see what you’ve been doing. Read on to learn all you need to know about your incognito history and how to clear these traces from your computer or smartphone. Also discover how to strengthen your privacy when browsing with a VPN like Avira Phantom VPN.
Browsing in incognito mode, also called private mode, allows you to hide your online activities from other users of your device. That’s because, unlike in normal browsing mode, your browsing history, website data such as cookies, and browser cache files like images and graphics are not stored permanently on your hard drive but are wiped automatically from your computer’s memory when you end your incognito session.
That said, the same doesn’t always apply to your browser’s internal DNS (domain name system) cache, which in most browsers is located in a separate area of your computer’s RAM. In technical terms, the DNS cache works like short-term memory, storing the domain names of the websites you visit and the associated IP addresses so websites load faster the next time you visit them. Since these entries give a rough idea of your surfing history, this list is often referred to as the “incognito history”, even though it’s not strictly a history. That’s because whereas your browser history shows exactly which websites and pages you’ve visited (e.g. www.onlineshop.com/products), the DNS cache only shows which websites you accessed along with their IP addresses (e.g. www.onlineshop.com).
However, these entries are not only stored in the browser’s internal DNS cache but also in the system-wide DNS cache. This is done because to open a website in the first place, your browser needs to ask your operating system for help. Your operating system sends a DNS query to a DNS server on the internet to translate the domain name into an IP address. The result of this query is passed from the operating system to the browser and also cached in the system’s as well as the browser’s own DNS cache. This cache not only stores the browser’s queries but also the connection data of all active programs — such as email clients, messaging apps, or system updates. When you completely close your browser (like Chrome) or close the incognito window (like in Firefox), the browser’s own DNS cache is deleted. However, the DNS cache stored by your operating system (Windows, macOS, Android, or iOS) is not cleared at the same time, so your device may still remember which websites you visited for a little longer. The system-wide DNS cache is stored in your device’s volatile RAM, meaning the entries there will be cleared when you restart your device — unless you take action sooner. They’re also difficult to view, except on Windows computers.
To be extra sure that these temporary address lookups are removed from your system‑wide cache, you can also clear it manually. Clearing the DNS cache (called a DNS flush) can also fix loading issues caused by outdated IP addresses, ensuring no leftover technical traces of web queries remain. When you clear the DNS cache, your device is forced to ask the DNS server for the website’s address again and save the updated one. It then receives the current IP address and the page reloads.
If you don’t perform a DNS flush, restart your device, or close your browser, the DNS entries will delete themselves automatically when they expire, as controlled by their TTL (time to live). On computers, you can delete entries in the system-wide DNS cache using special commands; on mobile devices, briefly turning on airplane mode can help reset it. In some cases, you can clear your browser’s own DNS cache manually by entering a command in the browser’s address bar.
However, since you can achieve the same result by restarting your device or closing your browser, we recommend this simple, tried-and-tested way to clear your incognito history.
How to clear your incognito history on mobile devices
The system-wide DNS cache is cleared automatically when you restart your device, and you need special software tools to view it on Android devices, iPhones, or iPads. If you still want to reset it manually and also remove the temporary DNS traces of your incognito session, follow these steps:
Resetting the system-wide DNS cache on iPhone and Android devices
- iPhone: Swipe down from the top right corner of the screen to open the Control Center.
Android: Swipe down from the top of the screen to open Quick Settings. - Tap the airplane icon to turn on airplane mode.
- Wait 20 to 30 seconds and turn off airplane mode. The system’s own DNS cache, as well as all traces of your incognito browsing history, will be deleted automatically.
How to clear your incognito history on computers
As mentioned, temporary entries about the websites you’ve visited are stored in the operating system’s DNS cache on Windows PCs and Macs. It’s also relatively easy to view this cache on Windows devices.
To remove all traces of your internet activity or clear the incognito history on your computer without restarting your device, follow these steps:
Clearing the system-wide DNS cache on your Windows PC or laptop
- Open the search box (via the taskbar or Start menu).
- Enter cmd or Command Prompt.
- Where you see the Command Prompt app listed as the best match, right-click the entry and select Run as administrator.
- If you only want to view the DNS cache, enter the command ipconfig /displaydns and then press the Enter key.
- To clear the DNS cache and, in doing so, the entire history of your incognito session, enter the command ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter.
Clearing the DNS cache on your Mac
On a Mac, the DNS cache isn’t as easy to view as on Windows devices, but you can still clear the entries and your incognito history. The Console app allows you to view current DNS queries, but it doesn’t display a complete list of all the stored DNS entries like Windows does. It only shows the current internal status of the DNS resolver that manages the DNS cache, including active and cached entries as well as status information.
To clear your Mac’s DNS cache without restarting the system, including removing all traces of your incognito session, follow these steps:
- Open Spotlight search (via the top menu bar or by pressing Cmd + Spacebar).
- Type Terminal into the search field and then open it.
- In Terminal, enter the command sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder and press the Return key. When prompted, enter your password and press the Return key again.
How to clear your incognito history in browsers
In Chromium-based browsers, you can clear the DNS cache by closing the browser; in Firefox, you clear it by closing the incognito window. Although closing the browser or the incognito session clears the browser’s internal DNS cache, your browser may still receive DNS information from the operating system’s DNS cache the next time you visit a website. This means clearing this internal cache isn’t enough to remove all traces of your incognito session — you should also clear the system-wide DNS cache, as described in the previous section.
On Windows, macOS, and Android devices, you can sometimes clear your browser’s DNS cache manually, but this isn’t possible on iPhones or iPads owing to Apple’s strict security policies which prevent access to these internal clearing features.
Also, clearing your browsing history, browser data, and browser cache files doesn’t affect the browser’s internal DNS cache. That’s because the DNS cache is located in a separate area of your device’s memory (in browsers like Chrome, Edge, or Firefox) or doesn’t exist at all in the case of Safari.
Clearing your browser’s internal DNS cache in Chrome and Edge
Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge don’t store DNS entries from incognito windows in a separate cache but in the browser’s global DNS cache (the host cache). Simply closing the incognito window is therefore not enough to remove these DNS entries. They remain in the cache until you completely close the browser or you clear the DNS cache manually. To do that, follow these steps:
- Open your Chrome or Edge browser.
- Go to your browser’s address bar. In Chrome, enter: chrome://net-internals/#dns; in Edge, enter: edge://net-internals/#dns.
- If necessary, select DNS on the left and then click Clear host cache. The DNS data, including your incognito history, will now be cleared.
Clearing your browser’s internal DNS cache in Firefox
Firefox keeps DNS entries from incognito (Private Browsing) windows separate from normal windows. To clear this cache and any incognito history, simply close all Private Browsing windows.
To clear the DNS cache of your normal sessions, proceed as follows:
- Open your Firefox browser.
- Enter about:networking#dns into your browser’s address bar.
- If necessary, select DNS on the left and then click Clear DNS Cache.
Clearing your browser’s internal DNS cache in Safari
Unlike Chrome and Firefox, Safari doesn’t keep its own browser-level DNS cache; instead, it uses the same DNS cache as the rest of the system. Since the operating system handles DNS queries (via MacOS’s mDNSResponder), you can’t delete them manually within the browser. As such, follow the steps above to clear the system-wide DNS cache on your Mac.
What is private browsing or incognito mode?
Your browser starts a separate session, during which your browsing history is not saved, when you open a private browsing or incognito window. Website data, cookies, and cache files are still created temporarily, but they’re deleted as soon as you close the session. This means that other people who use your device won’t be able to see which websites you visited.
Because private or incognito mode uses a clean browser profile that doesn’t carry over data from regular windows, websites treat you as a new or unknown visitor. This can be very useful, such as when searching for hotels, flights, or products, as repeated searches can sometimes lead to higher prices being displayed.
In incognito mode, you won’t be logged in automatically to your accounts (such as your Google account) and anything you enter into forms won’t be saved. That said, if you log in to a website using your personal account during a private session, that website and any advertisers will be able to identify you and track what you do during this session.
Despite its protections, private browsing doesn’t make you completely anonymous online. Network admins, such as employers, educational institutions, or internet service providers (ISPs), can still see which websites you visit. Websites that use Google services may also share information about your activities with Google. In short, private browsing mode only prevents local storage of your browsing history, cookies, and other browser data. It does not prevent websites from tracking your IP address or identifying you based on browser fingerprinting techniques.
Tip: With Avira Secure Browser, you can surf in private mode while benefiting from AI-powered Web Protection — for safety from malware and phishing sites. You can even block trackers, ads, and browser fingerprinting — regardless of which mode you surf in — thanks to Privacy Guard. Privacy Cleaner also makes it a breeze to delete all your browsing data (such as browsing history, cookies, and other website data, including cached images and files) once you’re done browsing in normal mode.
Can the incognito browsing history be viewed?
Since your browsing history is not saved when surfing in incognito mode, there is no actual incognito history that someone could view. That said, the website domains you’ve visited can remain in your browser’s internal and the system-wide DNS cache, revealing your browsing behavior — albeit to a limited extent. If it’s any consolation, your browser’s internal DNS cache can only be viewed on Mac and Windows devices, while the system-wide cache can only be viewed on Windows computers.
Why you should clear your incognito history
As described, your browsing history is not saved when surfing in incognito mode — but there is a technical loophole with the browser’s internal and the system-wide DNS cache, giving a rough idea of which websites you’ve visited. Other users of the same device can’t see the exact pages you’ve visited, but they can see which platforms you’ve been on — something you might prefer to avoid in some cases.
It’s important to note that browsers use something called DNS prefetching to scan visited pages for links and proactively look up the DNS addresses of those links so they load faster if you click on them. As a result, domains can end up in your DNS cache even if you never actually visited them yourself.
So, if you want to remove all traces of your online activities on your device, clear both DNS caches to effectively wipe your incognito history.
How to switch to incognito mode
You can switch to private browsing or incognito mode on all the latest browsers. Here’s how:
- Google Chrome: Open Chrome and select New Incognito window from the more options menu (the icon with three dots) in the top right corner.
- Microsoft Edge: Open Edge and select New InPrivate window from the more options menu (the icon with three dots) in the top right corner.
- Firefox: Open Firefox and select New Private Window from the hamburger menu (the one with the three vertical bars in the top right corner).
- Safari: Open Safari and choose File > New Private Window.
- Avira Secure Browser: Open the browser and select New Private Mode Window from the more options menu (the icon with three dots) in the top right corner.
Summary: Protect to your online privacy with Avira Phantom VPN
When browsing in incognito mode, neither your browsing history nor website data is saved beyond the end of the session. However, your IP address remains visible, so websites and your ISP can still track what you do online. If you truly want to surf privately, use a VPN. It routes your internet traffic through an encrypted tunnel and hides your IP address, preventing your online activities from being linked to you via that IP address.
So, ideally you should first connect to Avira Phantom VPN and then use your browser’s private browsing or incognito mode as usual to enjoy maximum online privacy.
Google, Google Chrome, and Android are registered trademarks of Google LLC.
Windows and Microsoft Edge are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Mozilla Firefox is a registered trademark of the Mozilla Foundation.
Safari, Mac, iPhone, and iOS are registered trademarks of Apple Inc.
