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Firefox Private Browsing is great for viewing websites without saving things like cookies, temp files, and a history of the pages you visit.

Private Browsing automatically erases your browsing information, such as passwords, cookies and history, leaving no trace when you close out. New versions of Firefox also have [[Content Blocking (Tracking Protection)|Content Blocking (Tracking Protection)]], which prevents hidden trackers from collecting your information across multiple sites and slowing your browsing down. <!-- hiding video because it's now outdated -- TO LOCALIZE THE CAPTIONS FOR THIS VIDEO, SEE https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/localize-a-support-video#w_localize-video-caption-files [[Video:http://youtu.be/r3s-zDwLjb0]] --> {warning}'''Important:''' Private Browsing doesn't make you anonymous on the Internet. Your Internet service provider, employer, or the sites themselves can still track what pages you visit. Private Browsing also doesn't protect you from [http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Keylogger keyloggers] or [http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyware spyware] that may be installed on your computer.{/warning} __TOC__ = How do I open a new Private Window? = There are two ways to open a new Private Window. ==Open a new, blank Private Window== *Click the menu button {for not fx57}[[Image:New Fx Menu]]{/for}{for fx57}[[Image:Fx57Menu]]{/for} and then click {button New Private Window}. *;{for win}[[Image:private tab menu 57 win]]{/for}{for mac}[[Image:private tab menu 57]]{/for}{for linux}[[Image:private tab menu 57 linux]]{/for} ==Open a link in a new Private Window== *[[T:contextmenu]] on any link and choose {menu Open Link in New Private Window} from the context menu. *;{for winxp}[[Image:Link in Private Window Fx20 WinXP]]{/for}{for win7,win8,win10}[[Image:Link in Private Window Fx20 Win7]]{/for}{for mac}[[Image:Link in Private Window Fx20 Mac]]{/for}{for linux}[[Image:Link in Private Window Fx20 Lin]]{/for} {note}'''Tip:''' Private Browsing windows have a purple mask at the top.{/note} ;{for win}[[Image:private mask 57 win]]{/for}{for mac}[[Image:private mask 57]]{/for}{for linux}[[Image:private mask 57 linux]]{/for} = What does Private Browsing not save? = * '''Visited pages''': No pages will be added to the list of sites in the History menu, the Library window's history list, or the [[Awesome Bar - Search your Firefox bookmarks, history and tabs from the address bar|Awesome Bar]] address list. * '''Form and Search Bar entries''': Nothing you enter into text boxes on web pages or the [[Use the Search bar in Firefox|Search bar]] will be saved for [[Control whether Firefox automatically fills in forms|Form autocomplete]]. * '''Passwords''': No new passwords will be saved. * '''Download List entries''': No files you download will be listed in the [[Where to find and manage downloaded files in Firefox|Downloads Window]] after you turn off Private Browsing. * '''Cookies''': [[Cookies - Information that websites store on your computer|Cookies]] store information about websites you visit such as site preferences, login status, and data used by plugins like Adobe Flash. Cookies can also be used by third parties to track you across websites. For more information about tracking, see [[How do I turn on the Do-not-track feature?]]. Cookies set in private windows are held temporarily in memory, separate from regular window cookies, and discarded at the end of your private session (after the last private window is closed). * '''Cached Web Content''' and '''Offline Web Content and User Data''': No temporary Internet files ([http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_cache cached] files) or files that websites save for offline use will be saved. {note} '''Note''': * New [[Bookmarks in Firefox|bookmarks]] you create while using Private Browsing will be saved. * Any files you download to your computer while using Private Browsing will be saved. {/note} =Can I set Firefox to always use Private Browsing?= Firefox is set to remember history by default but you can change this setting in your Firefox Privacy [[T:optionsorpreferences]] (click the Firefox menu {for not fx57}[[Image:New Fx Menu]]{/for}{for fx57}[[Image:Fx57Menu]]{/for}, choose {for win}{button Options}{/for}{for mac,linux}{button Preferences}{/for} and select the {for not fx56}{menu Privacy}{/for}{for fx56}{menu Privacy & Security}{/for} panel). When you change your History setting to '''Never remember history''', this is equivalent to always being in Private Browsing mode.{for not fx56} For more information, see [[Settings for privacy, browsing history and do-not-track]].{/for} {warning}'''Important:''' When Firefox is set to '''Never remember history''' you won't see a purple mask at the top of each window, even though you are effectively in Private Browsing mode. To restore normal browsing, go to your Privacy [[T:optionsorpreferences]] and set Firefox to '''Remember history'''. {/warning} =Other ways to control what information Firefox saves= *You can always [[Delete browsing, search and download history on Firefox|remove recent browsing, search and download history]] after visiting a site. *Read more articles on this topic: [/products/firefox/privacy-and-security/passwords-forms-search-and-history Passwords, forms, search, and history - control what Firefox suggests]