To do private browsing on a Mac using Safari, follow these steps:
- Open the Safari app on your Mac.
- From the menu bar at the top, click on File.
- Select New Private Window from the dropdown menu. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Command + Shift + N.
- A new Safari window will open with a dark Smart Search field and white text, indicating you are in private browsing mode.
- Browse as usual. In this mode, Safari won’t save your browsing history, AutoFill information, or recent searches, and websites visited won’t be shared with your other Apple devices. Cookies and website data changes aren’t saved either
To stop private browsing, simply close the private window or open a new normal window by choosing File > New Window or pressing Command + N
. If you want Safari to always open in private browsing mode, go to Safari > Settings > General, then set Safari opens with to A new private window. You may need to enable "Close windows when quitting an application" in System Settings under Desktop & Dock if the option doesn’t appear
. This method ensures your browsing sessions remain private on your Mac without saving local browsing data or sharing it across devices.
