What Is Guest Mode in Chrome & How it Differs from Normal Browsing
If you notice carefully, the example that I gave above is for a guest. This is for someone who needs your computer for a temporary period. So I guess you have an idea of what's the guest mode. But do not assume for the moment, there is more than what you see.
So plunge into the heart of guest mode on Chrome and learn more about it.
What is the Chrome Guest Mode?
Google Chrome lets you create multiple profiles in which important details, such as favorites, history, passwords, and so on, are kept separately for each user. Profiles are created permanently so that you can easily switch between them. For example, you may have separate work and personal profiles.
Guest mode is a special case of Chrome profiles for temporary or guest users, as its name indicates. When you start this mode, a new window will open with a separate icon in the taskbar. On the interface, Chrome would seem normal to the guest. But if they start poking around, they will notice that something is wrong. And Chrome may seem empty or simple for them.
The reason is that Chrome favorites and extensions of other profiles are not available in this mode. If it's an ephemeral profile, a user can not create favorites or download extensions. This mode is also missing from the password manager available in normal Chrome profiles.
In addition, you can not change any Chrome settings in this profile. The only available parameter is the ability to change the default search engine.
What happens in guest mode?
Whenever you start guest mode, Chrome thinks it's a new user. So, you will have to leave a blank slate each time. This means that the browsing history or login information of previous users or sessions will not be available.
This is not everything. The pages visited by the guest will not appear in the browsing history of a Chrome profile. In fact, if you check the guest mode settings, there is no history option.
In addition, if you have logged in to various sites in this mode, leaving the mode or closing all tabs will remove your browsing activity. Closing the mode also deletes all temporary data such as cookies and cached files.
You can say that everything that happens in the guest mode stays in this mode. But the statement is not 100% true because it does not stay at all as you saw above. This means that when you close the windows in guest mode, all your browsing history and temporary data, such as cookies and cache, are removed. So neither the invited user nor any other user has access to this information.
What happens to downloaded files?
The only thing that remains intact are the downloaded files. If you download something while browsing a guest profile, it will not be deleted when you leave the mode. Downloaded files can be accessed by any Chrome profile.
How is guest mode different from normal navigation?
Google Chrome allows you to browse the Internet in three ways: normal browsing, private browsing mode, and guest mode.
For starters, normal navigation or normal profiles is a permanent affair. When you close the browser, your activity is not deleted and Chrome does not forget your existence. You can always view your browsing history, create and view bookmarks, and use extensions.
In guest mode, your activity is limited to your current session. As soon as you leave the session, Chrome does not remember you anymore. For Chrome, you are a different user if you create a new session. As mentioned earlier, you do not have access to bookmarks, extensions, and settings.
Guest Mode vs Incognito Mode
Incognito mode is a slightly advanced version of the guest mode. Although your browsing activity is private in both areas, you still have access to your favorites and settings in private browsing mode.
How to open guest mode
Here are the steps:
Step 1: Launch the Chrome browser on your PC.
2nd step: Click on the user profile icon at the top. Select Open Guest Window from the menu. You will be brought to the guest mode.
How to leave guest mode
To do this, click on the profile icon at the top in guest mode. Select Exit Guest in the menu. Otherwise, close all windows in the guest profile.
Note: You can not disable guest mode on Chrome.
Availability on Chrome Mobile Apps
This mode only works on the web version of Chrome. On Android phones, you can use the guest profile that creates a different account not only for Chrome, but for all activities on your phone.
What is the trap
Although guest mode browsing history is not available on other Chrome profiles, your ISP and your employer or school can still access it.
Likewise, if you have signed in to a web service such as Gmail, YouTube, or Facebook, they can still track your activity. For example, if you watch a YouTube video while you're signed in to your Google Account in this mode, it will be saved in your YouTube history.
Finally, this mode does not prevent users from accessing your other Chrome profiles. A guest user can easily switch to other profiles with the help of the user icon at the top. In doing so, they can access your favorites, your history and your passwords. So be careful when you transfer your computer to other people, even in guest mode.
When to use
Guest mode is best for temporary situations, such as when someone wants to use your computer for a while or want to use someone else 's computer. The confidentiality of both is maintained. Neither the guest user can see the information of other profiles, nor what he was doing.
If you like guest mode features, Chrome can still be started in this mode.
Then: Are you planning to reset Chrome settings? Know what happens after you have done it by consulting the article below.