Despite the name, Private Browsing Mode doesn't offer 100% privacy. It does, however, keep your browser from saving your browsing history, searches, passwords, web cookies and all kind of information that could be stored in a common browsing session. This means that every time you close the browser with Private Browsing Mode enabled, the next time you open it  you'll be automatically logged out of your logged sessions on that site. Of course it has both advantages and disadvantages and it's completely up to you when and where to use it.

That being said, today we'll learn how to have any major browser always to start in Private Browsing Mode. Are you ready? So, to the point, come on with me!

Google Chrome

In order to activate Google Chrome's Incognito Mode (the same as Private Browsing Mode for other browsers) by default, you will need to append a command to the end of its shortcut. This is what we call a switch, and just like this switch, there are a few others that you can apply following the same steps. SPOILER: Maybe we will see it in a next article in the future :)

Well, back to our tutorial. Where did we stop? Oh, ok, we are going to edit the Google Chrome shortcut.

First, find the shortcut you use to launch Google Chrome. Usually it will be on your Desktop. If not, search for it on your Taskbar, and if not there as well, then search for it on the Start Menu. Hopefully now you will have found it so that we can march on.

When you find the shortcut, activate your Context Menu, search for and select Properties.

You'll be presented with an edit box which should be already populated. Just add -incognito to the end of the text populating it. It's a space, one dash, and then the word incognito.

Now, activate the "OK" button to save your changes. From now onwards, every time you launch Google Chrome using this shortcut, it will automatically start in Incognito Mode. If at any moment you want to not have Google Chrome started in this mode, you will need to come back to the shortcut properties and remove what you've appended to the end of the text in the box or simply use another Google Chrome shortcut, which reminds me: if you use more than one shortcut to the browser you must change it on all of them.

Mozilla Firefox

Firefox allows you to enable private browsing mode direct from its options window. Go to menu > Options and select the Privacy section. Under History, activate the ""Firefox will" combo box and choose "Never remember history". When you've done it, you'll be prompted to restart the browser.

For the next sessions, Firefox will always use the same settings it would use in Private Browsing Mode, even though this won't display the usual Private Browsing interface.

Should you don't want Firefox to use the Private Browsing Mode settings anymore, just come back to the same "Firefox will" combo box and choose to remember your history again.

Safari

On MacOS, Safari has an option which allows you to always open it in Private Browsing Mode. To find it, open the browser and go to Safari Preferences.

Under General, activate "Safari opens with" and choose "A new private window".

Now, for the next times you open Safari, it will automatically start in Private Browsing Mode.

If you ever want it to have the old settings as before, just come back to the window where you just changed it and tell Safari to open with "A new window".

Internet Explorer

Just like Google Chrome, if you are using Internet Explorer you will need to add a switch to the Internet Explorer shortcut so that it knows that by default you want it to start in Private Browsing Mode.

Find the shortcut you use to open Internet Explorer, activate your Context Menu, search for and select Properties.

You'll be presented with an edit box which should be already populated. Just add -private to the end of the text populating it. It's a space, one dash, and then the word private.

Now, activate the "OK" button to save your changes. From now onwards, every time you launch Internet Explorer using this shortcut, it will automatically start in Private Browsing Mode. If at any moment you want to have the browser not started in this mode, you will need to come back to the shortcut properties and remove what you've added to the end of the text in the box or simply use another Internet Explorer shortcut. Note that if you use more than one shortcut to open Internet Explorer you must change it on all of them.

Final notes

Please keep in mind that using the Private Browsing Mode, your browser won't be able to save your history, search, passwords, web cookies and everything else it usually would save.

Also, if you don't want to go that  route and only want to work with the Private Browsing Mode every now and then, you might want to use keyboards shortcuts for this.

With that in mind, here are the shortcuts for opening a Private Browsing window in the aforementioned browsers:

• Firefox: CTRL+Shift+P
• Google Chrome: CTRL+Shift+N
• Internet Explorer: Type about:InPrivate on the address bar.
• Safari: Command+Shift+N