Guide
How to browse privately on a Mac
A private window, sometimes called incognito mode, lets you browse without leaving history, cookies or a cache on your Mac. Here is how to open one, and what it can and can't do.
Free · macOS 26 or later · Signed and notarized by Apple
Open a private window in Tern
- 1
Press ⇧⌘P
Or choose File › New Private Window from the menu bar. - 2
Browse as usual
Sites work normally, but nothing from the window is saved. - 3
Close the window
Its history, cookies and sign-ins are gone. Opening a new one starts empty.
What a private window keeps off your Mac
- History
- Pages you visit are not added to history or suggested later.
- Cookies and sign-ins
- Kept only while the window is open, then deleted.
- Cache and site data
- Never written to disk.
What it doesn't hide
Private browsing protects your Mac, not your connection.
- The sites you visit
- They still see your connection, and anything you sign in to knows it is you.
- Your network
- Your internet provider, or the network at work or school, can still see which sites you reach.
- Downloads and bookmarks
- Files you download and bookmarks you add stay on your Mac.
Questions
Is private browsing the same as incognito?
Yes. Different browsers use different names for the same thing: a window that saves nothing once it is closed.
How do I block trackers when not in private mode?
In Tern, known trackers and ad servers are blocked in every Space, all the time. How Tern keeps browsing private.
Can I keep work and personal sign-ins apart without private windows?
Yes. Each Space in Tern keeps its own cookies and sign-ins, so a work Space and a personal Space never share them.
Read next
Try Tern on your Mac
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