While Safari's Private Browsing mode offers a layer of privacy by not saving your browsing history, cookies, or site data locally on your device, it does not provide comprehensive safety or anonymity from external entities.
According to information from July 12, 2024, Safari's private mode does nothing to hide your browsing data from advertisers, hackers, and other third parties like your ISP. This means that even when using private mode, websites and other third parties can still track your online activity. Furthermore, your searches will still be logged unless you are specifically using a private search engine.
What Safari's Private Browsing Mode Does Do
Private Browsing primarily affects what is saved on your device:
- Browsing history is not saved.
- Cookies and site data collected during the session are deleted when you close the window.
- Information entered in forms is not saved.
What Safari's Private Browsing Mode Doesn't Do
It's crucial to understand the limitations of this mode:
- Does not hide your IP address. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) can still see your online activity.
- Does not hide your activity from websites. Websites you visit can still track your behavior using various methods.
- Does not hide your activity from third parties. Advertisers, analytics companies, and potentially others can still gather information.
- Does not protect you from hackers. Security threats are still present.
- Does not stop search engines from logging your searches (unless you use a dedicated private search engine).
- Does not prevent employers or network administrators from monitoring your activity on their networks.
Understanding the Reality of Online Tracking
Many users misunderstand the purpose of private browsing modes. Think of it less as an invisibility cloak and more as an automatic history eraser for your computer.
Here's a simple comparison:
| Feature | Regular Browsing | Safari Private Browsing | What Sees Your Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local History | Saved on your device | Not Saved on your device | - |
| Local Cookies/Data | Saved on your device | Deleted after session | - |
| Website Tracking | Yes | Yes | Websites, Advertisers, Third Parties |
| ISP Monitoring | Yes | Yes | Your ISP |
| Search Logging | Yes (by search engine) | Yes (by search engine) | Search Engine |
| Network Monitoring | Yes (on work/school networks etc.) | Yes (on work/school networks etc.) | Network Administrator/Employer/Router |
Enhancing Your Online Privacy
If you require a higher level of privacy or anonymity than Safari's Private Browsing offers, consider combining it with other tools:
- Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network): A VPN encrypts your internet connection and routes it through a server, masking your IP address from your ISP and the websites you visit (though the VPN provider itself can see your activity).
- Use a Private Search Engine: Engines like DuckDuckGo or Brave Search do not log your search queries.
- Install Browser Extensions: Anti-tracking extensions can help block some tracking technologies, though they are not foolproof.
- Consider the Tor Browser: For maximum anonymity (often used by journalists and activists), the Tor browser routes your traffic through multiple relays, making it very difficult to trace.
In conclusion, while useful for preventing your local device from saving your browsing traces, Safari's Private Browsing mode is not safe if your goal is to hide your online activity from ISPs, websites, advertisers, or other third parties.
