How to Launch Chrome in Incognito Mode Easily

I've mixed incognito mode with countless normal Chrome windows. That's why I often have trouble launching Chrome in Incognito mode without blundering. It may just be me, but I think it happens mainly because of the adoption of dark mode by Chrome. The normal and incognito tabs now look almost the same, right?

However, I do not want to give up dark mode in Chrome for that reason alone. That's why the direct launch of Chrome in incognito mode can be so useful. This reduces the chances of forgetting the Incognito mode once you have opened the browser. But how do you do that?

If you want to spend a few minutes, you can easily create a shortcut that allows you to easily open Chrome in private browsing mode. You can create this on Windows and macOS.

On Android and iOS, it's even easier to launch Chrome in incognito mode if you know how to do it. So read on.

Google Chrome – Windows

Direct launch of Chrome in incognito mode on Windows is quite simple. You must create a shortcut on the desktop by adding a simple command line to the default target file. In addition, you can do this with the shortcut already in place on your desktop. You can also duplicate the shortcut (using the Copy and Paste functions) to have two shortcuts: one to launch Chrome in normal mode and the other to launch it in incognito mode.

Note: If you do not have a Chrome shortcut on your desktop, open the File Explorer, and then go to Local Disk (C:)> Program Files (x86)> Google> Chrome> Application. In the Application folder, right-click the file labeled "chrome," point to Send To, and then click Desktop.

Step 1: Right-click the Chrome shortcut on your desktop, and select Properties.

2nd step: Switch to the Shortcut tab in the Properties dialog box. Follow up by adding a single space to the file path at the end of the Target field. Then, insert the following command line:

 --incognito 

The file path should then look like the one in the screen capture below. Click Apply, and then click OK to save your changes.

Step 3: Double-click on the shortcut for Chrome to launch directly into incognito mode. In my case, I have two Chrome shortcuts on my desktop that allow me to open Chrome in normal or incognito mode. To avoid confusion, I renamed them appropriately.

If you want to prevent the shortcut from running in incognito mode, simply remove the "–incognito" command line from the Target field through Properties and save your changes.

Google Chrome – macOS

Unlike Windows, you can not edit a Chrome shortcut on macOS to launch the browser in incognito mode. Instead, you need to create a simple script for this purpose. Do not worry, it's easy enough to do.

But there are many things you need to keep in mind. First, the script will not have a Chrome icon. Instead, it will look like what it really is: a script. Second, the script will not work if Google Chrome is already operational. In this case, you must manually open the Incognito tabs.

Step 1: Open the AppleScript editor. Type Applescript editor in Spotlight (shortcut Cmd + Space), then press Enter to do it. In the window that appears, click New Document.

2nd step: Copy and paste the script below into the AppleScript editor:

 do shell script "open -a /Applications/Google Chrome.app --args --incognito"

Step 3: Open the File menu, and then click Save.

Step 4: Type a name for the script (something identifiable), select a location to save the file (Desktop is the most convenient), and then select the file format as Application. Finally, click Save.

Step 5: Use the script each time you want to launch Chrome in incognito mode.

You can also download it to the Dock and use it alongside the classic Chrome shortcut for convenience. However, you should not have normal Chrome windows running in the background when you use the script.

Google Chrome – Android and iOS

To open Chrome directly in incognito mode on Android, you do not need to edit shortcuts or create scripts from scratch. Instead, the Chrome icon already contains this feature. Just tap and hold for a second. After that, you should see a context menu – tap New Incognito tab, and you're ready to go.

The same applies to Chrome on iOS. And you do not need a device with 3D Touch either, because Haptic Touch requires iOS 13 to start. Long press the Chrome icon, then tap New Incognito tab. You can do this on any iOS device (iPhone or iPad) running iOS 13.

Point: On iOS, the Chrome widget also has a shortcut to open Chrome in incognito mode. Go to Today view (leftmost screen of the home page) and press Edit to activate the Chrome widget.

Go incognito

Opening Chrome in Incognito mode helps to avoid confusion. After following these methods, it is easy to clear the browser cache to delete private searches, because I forgot to use Incognito.

In addition, you can avoid going through these extra clicks when launching Chrome, and then spend two clicks to launch the Incognito mode.

Then: Add excitement to your Chrome Incognito experience with these three great extensions.