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Glossary

What is Incognito Mode?

Incognito mode (also called private browsing) is a browser window that doesn't save your history, cookies, or form data on your device after you close it. It's useful for keeping your local activity private on a shared computer. Importantly, it does not hide your IP address or stop websites, your provider, or trackers from seeing what you do.

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  • Plain-English definition
  • Privacy explained
  • Free VPN for Chrome

Why it matters

Incognito Mode and your privacy

Incognito is often mistaken for anonymity. It clears local traces but leaves your real IP exposed — to actually hide your IP and location, you need a VPN like Zippa running alongside it.

Learn more: Hide Your IP Address

The honest bit

Free because Premium pays the bills — never because we sell your data

The usual catch with a free VPN is that it logs and sells your browsing to make money. Zippa doesn’t. Our free tier is funded by people who upgrade to Premium, and we keep a strict no-logs policy — we don’t record the sites you visit, your real IP, or your DNS queries. There’s simply nothing to sell.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The questions people actually ask before they install — answered plainly.

  • No. Incognito mode only stops your browser from saving history and cookies locally. Websites, your internet provider, and trackers can still see your real IP address and your activity. Hiding your IP requires a VPN.

  • Only on your own device. It prevents your browser from storing this session's history and cookies, which helps on a shared computer, but it provides no anonymity from the sites you visit or your network.

  • It depends who runs it. Plenty of free VPNs pay their bills by logging and selling browsing data — that's the real catch. Zippa is funded by people who upgrade to Premium, not by your data, and we keep a strict no-logs policy, so there's nothing to record or sell in the first place.

Try a free VPN for Chrome

Now you know what incognito mode means — see it in action. Add Zippa free, or browse the full glossary.

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VPN by location

Free: US, UK, Netherlands, Singapore. Premium adds Germany, France, Japan, India, Australia, Canada.

Or head back to the Zippa VPN home page.