How to start Edge browser in InPrivate mode in Windows 11

Microsoft Edge browser has a feature called InPrivate browsing mode. This mode lets you control whether or not the browser should save your browsing history, cookies, and other data. It ensures that no private data is stored in the browser once your browsing session is completed. This tutorial guides you through switching to InPrivate mode of the Edge browser.

While browsing in the InPrivate mode, the following takes place:

• New cookies are not stored
• New history entries will not be recorded
• New temporary Internet files will be deleted after the Private Browsing window is closed
• Form data is not stored
• Passwords are not stored
• Addresses typed into the address bar are not stored
• Queries entered into the search box are not stored
• Visited links will not be stored.

Open InPrivate window in Edge browser

InPrivate Browsing also helps prevent the Edge browser from storing data about your browsing session. This includes cookies, temporary Internet files, history, and other data. Toolbars and extensions are disabled by default.

1. Launch the Microsoft Edge browser.
2. Go to ‘Settings and more’ menu and click it.
3. Here, you will find the ‘New InPrivate window’ option listed, alongside other options.
4. Choose the option to start browsing in ‘InPrivate’ mode of the Edge browser.
5. When done, close the browser and exit. No temporary Internet files, history, and other data will be saved upon your exit.

To browse in the InPrivate mode in Edge, click Ctrl+Shift+N.  A new private window will open.

You can also right-click on the Edge icon and select New inPrivate window.

Create a shortcut to start Edge in Private Mode

If you prefer always to browse using Edge in the inPrivate mode, you may create a desktop shortcut using the following command-line argument:

msedge.exe -inprivate

Copy-pasting this in the Start search box and hitting Enter will also start your Edge in this mode.

Microsoft Edge now also offers a flag in edge://flags/ named Turn on InPrivate Desktop Shortcut.

If you enable it, you will see a quick link that allows you to create a desktop shortcut to open Edge in InPrivate mode.

Read: How to launch Microsoft Edge without Extensions.

How to always start Microsoft Edge in InPrivate mode by tweaking the Registry

You can make Microsoft Edge always start in InPrivate mode by editing the Windows Registry. By doing so, New window mode (Ctrl+N) in Microsoft Edge is disabled, as a result, whenever you launch the Edge browser using its taskbar icon, Start menu, or desktop shortcut, it opens with InPrivate mode only.

Also, when you open a new tab, that tab will also open in the private window only. You can do all this with a simple Registry tweak. This post covers all the steps. You can also undo this change and use the normal window anytime.

When you use this trick to disable normal window mode, you won’t be able to access the Favorites Manager and Settings of Microsoft Edge, which require a normal window.

In the image added above, you can see that the New window option is greyed. That simply means only InPrivate or incognito window mode will work in the Edge browser.

As this is a Registry tweak, you should backup Windows Registry or create a system restore point.

Now open the Registry Editor and navigate to this key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft

In Microsoft key, create a new key.

For that, you can right-click on the Microsoft key and use New option. Rename that new key with name ‘Edge‘.

Select the Edge key that you created. After that, on the right-hand part, create a DWORD (32-bit) value using the right-click context menu, and rename that value as:

InPrivateModeAvailability

Double-click on that value and a small box will open.

Add ‘2’ in the Value data field of that box. Save this change by clicking on OK button.

Now launch the Microsoft Edge browser and it will open with InPrivate mode.

To undo the changes, you can follow the above steps, and add 0 in the Value data field of InPrivateModeAvailability. This will enable new window mode again and the Edge browser will open with normal window.

Incognito mode or InPrivate window mode is good to use when you don’t want to store cookies, keep browsing info, download history, etc.

Read: Edge InPrivate Mode not working on Windows 11

I hope this trick will help you easily disable normal window mode so you can always use only InPrivate window mode in the Microsoft Edge browser.

TIP: This post shows how to automatically clear the cache when you exit the Edge browser.

InPrivate mode in Internet Explorer

1. Launch Internet Explorer browser.
2. Navigate the mouse cursor to ‘Tools‘ (visible as a cog icon).
3. Select it, scroll down to ‘Safety‘ section.
4. Press the side-arrow to expand the safety menu.
5. Here, from the list of options displayed, select ‘InPrivate browsing‘ option.

To browse in the InPrivate mode, in IE, click on Tools tab and select InPrivate Browsing or click Ctrl+Shift+P.  A new window will open, and you will see the following in your address bar.

Create a shortcut to start IE in inPrivate Mode

If you prefer always to browse using Internet Explorer in the inPrivate mode, you may create a desktop shortcut using the following command-line argument:

iexplore.exe -private

Copy-pasting this in the Start search box and hitting Enter will also start your IE in this mode.

I hope this helps!

Related reads:

1. How to start Private Browsing in Firefox, Chrome, Opera
2. How to Disable Private Browsing in Chrome or Edge.