Have you ever used Safari’s Private Browsing mode on your Mac? It’s that feature that offers users the ability to browse the internet without leaving behind any traces of their online activities. While this feature can be quite handy for maintaining privacy, there are times when disabling it becomes necessary. Whether you want more controlled browsing, check internet usage, or prefer standard browsing. Knowing how to disable Safari Private Browsing on your Mac is essential.
In this article, let’s discuss Safari’s Private Browsing and its perks. Let’s take you through the process of disabling Private Browsing using Screen Time. Whether that includes turning off Private Browsing, disabling it, or only permitting guest users to use this feature. By the end of this tutorial, you’ll have all the knowledge to take control of both browsing experience and privacy settings on Mac devices.
What is Safari Private Browsing?
Safari Private Browsing, often referred to as “Incognito Mode” in other browsers, is a specialized feature designed to bolster online privacy while using your Mac. Safari provides you with an option called Private Browsing to provide you with a temporary searching session with specific characteristics compared to regular browsing sessions.
Notably, Private Browsing allows users to conduct online activities without leaving any footprint behind on their Mac’s hard drive – this gives users greater anonymity as any websites visited, searches conducted, or login information inputted during a Private Browsing session won’t leave traces on your device and provide an extra level of protection against identity theft.
How to Enable Safari Private Browsing on a Mac
Before we discuss how to disable it, let us understand how to enable private browsing on a Mac.
Here are the steps you can follow:
1. Open the Safari browser on your Mac.
2. From the top menu bar, click on File and select the New Private Window option from the drop-down menu.
3. Alternatively, you can also use a keyboard shortcut to enable private browsing on Safari. To do this, press Shift + Command + N on your keyboard.
How to Disable Safari’s Private Browsing on a Mac
Now, for any reason, if you want to disable Safari’s private browsing on your Mac, there are different ways to do it. Here, we’ll discuss all the methods to disable it.
1. Close Safari Private Browsing Window
Closing a Safari Private Browsing window is a straightforward process. Simply visit the private tab and click on the x next to the tab’s name to close it.
Here are the detailed steps to achieve this goal:
1. Open Safari and head to Safari’s private browsing window.
2. Open the tab you want to close.
3. Click on the small ‘x’ button located in the top-left corner of the window to close a private browsing window.
4. Alternatively, you can use the Command + Shift + W keyboard shortcut to close Safari Private Browsing.
2. Turn Off Safari Private Browsing using Screen Time
If you want to disable or turn off Safari private browsing on your macOS, you can do this by using Screen Time. Screen Time is a built-in feature in Mac that enables you to set limits on app usage, block websites, and more.
To disable Safari private browsing using Screen Time, follow these steps:
1. Click on the Apple Menu and select System Settings from the drop-down menu.
2. Select Screen Time from the left-hand side.
3. After that, enable the toggle next to Screen Time and go to Content & Privacy.
4. In the Content & Privacy window, turn on the toggle next to the Content & Privacy, then navigate to Content Restrictions.
5. After that, click the dropdown next to Access to Web Content and select Limit Adult Websites from the options.
6. Then, click Done to apply changes.
7. Following the above processes, Safari on your Mac will stop providing a Private Browsing or Incognito Mode option.
That’s it. Private browsing in Safari is now disabled. Within Safari, you’ll no longer be able to launch new Private Browsing windows after turning it off from the Screen Time settings options.
3. Disable Safari Private Browsing for Guest Users
However, if you only want to disable private browsing for the guest user, then we’ve got you covered as well. Disabling Safari Private Browsing for guest users on your Mac is a good way to ensure a controlled and secure browsing environment.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to disable Safari Private Browsing for Guest Users:
1. Head to Apple Logo at the top-left corner and click System Settings.
2. Look for Users & Groups in the menu on the left, then click it. Now, click on the info button next to the Guest User.
3. First, ensure that Guest Mode is enabled. If not, then click on Allow guests to log in to this computer and enter your Apple ID and Password to unlock the settings.
4. Now, enable the toggle next to the Limit adult websites to disable private browsing for a Guest user.
5. Then click Done to apply changes.
Now, when a guest user logs in to your Mac, Safari’s Private Browsing mode should be disabled, and they will be subject to the web content restrictions you’ve set. This helps ensure a safer and more controlled browsing experience for guest users on your Mac.
Conclusion
Turning off Private Browsing in Safari on your Mac is a breeze. Just follow the simple steps we discussed above, and you’ll be browsing without the private mode in no time. Whether you want to keep tabs on your browsing history and enable certain extensions that don’t work in private mode, it’s all at your fingertips.
Remember, it’s important to use this feature responsibly and consider your private needs. Private Browsing can be a handy tool, but sometimes it’s necessary to go back to regular browsing mode. So, go ahead and toggle settings whenever you need to.
