If you’ve used Chrome’s Incognito mode before, you’ll know it’s designed to stop your browser from saving history, cookies, or form data from your session.

But was it ever completely private? Not quite…

Until recently, if you copied anything in Incognito mode—like a snippet of text, an image, or a URL—Windows could still store it in your clipboard history. Even worse, it could sync that clipboard content across other devices if Cloud Clipboard was enabled.

Not ideal for a feature marketed as “private browsing”, right?

Luckily, Microsoft spotted this gap and rolled out an update to close the loophole, enhancing the privacy of Incognito mode for both Chrome and Edge users.

Now, when you open an Incognito (or InPrivate) window, your browser will avoid saving:

  • Your browsing history (so others won’t see what sites you’ve visited)
  • Cookies and site data (so you won’t be remembered by websites)
  • Autofill or form entries (so login or personal data isn’t stored)

And with this update, anything you copy during your session won’t be added to your clipboard history or synced to your other devices. That’s a big win for business users handling sensitive information or anyone sharing a computer.

For example, if you copied confidential business data or a personal message while browsing privately, that content would previously remain accessible via Windows Key + V. Worse still, if Cloud Clipboard was switched on, it could have been transferred to your other machines. This is no longer the case.

Microsoft’s fix ensures what you copy in Incognito mode stays private—just like the rest of your session. Google has since adopted this improvement into Chrome updates, so all users benefit.

But that’s not all. Another subtle but helpful change: media previews are now hidden in Incognito mode.

Previously, if you played a video (like on YouTube), Windows would show a preview—complete with video title and thumbnail—when you changed the volume or viewed the media overlay. This could even appear on your lock screen.

Now, when browsing in Incognito, all it says is “A site is playing media”—no titles, no images, no details. So if you’re watching business content or anything personal, there’s no risk of someone else seeing it by accident.

These are small but significant changes that enhance local privacy on your device. They’re especially useful if you’re using shared machines, logging into multiple accounts, or researching sensitive topics.

That said, remember: Incognito mode doesn’t hide your activity from your internet provider, workplace, or the sites you visit. It’s great for privacy on your device, but it won’t make you fully anonymous online.

If you’re concerned about protecting confidential business data or improving your organisation’s digital privacy, get in touch.

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