Incognito Not Working? 3 Ways to Turn it Back on in Chrome

Modifying the registry can help

Browsers » Chrome

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by Teodor Nechita 

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Incognito mode not working, not showing up, or greyed out in Chrome? You’re not the only one. This usually happens because of corrupt files, faulty settings, or interfering extensions.

Why does incognito mode not work anymore?

Sometimes your organization can block Incognito Mode from running. Your registry settings can also cause this problem.

What can I do if Incognito Mode is not working?

Before we start fixing this issue, ensure that you aren’t using Canary of Beta version of Chrome. If you’re a member of an organization, it’s possible that your administrator has blocked Incognito Mode.

1. Enable incognito mode Chrome registry

  1. Press Windows and search for regedit. Click on the top result to open it.regedit search
  2. Next, navigate to the following location: Computer\HKEY_Local_Machine\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome Computer\HKEY_Local_Machine\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome key in registry editor
  3. Double click IncognitoModeAvailability from the right side menu. In case there is none, right-click anywhere in the window and select New followed by DWORD (32-bit) value. Set its name to IncognitoModeAvailability.new DWORD 32-bit value
  4. Double click on the newly created key and type 0 as its value and click OK. 0 will indicate that it is enabled, while 1 means disabled. In case you already had the key created, simply set its value to 0.IncognitoModeAvailability value data 0

2. Leave Microsoft Family

  1. Navigate to Microsoft Family settings page.
  2. Click three dots next to your name and choose Leave family.
    leave family group
  3. Lastly, click on Remove to confirm.

3. Reset Chrome

  1. If incognito mode is not working, open Chrome and click on the three-dot menu followed by Settings.chrome settings
  2. Next, click on Reset and clean up followed by Restore settings to their original defaults.restore settings to their original defaults
  3. Click Reset settings and then try to enter the incognito mode to see if it works.reset settings button

These are the five most effective methods to use if Incognito is not showing in Chrome. This isn’t the only issue you can encounter and many reported that Chrome Incognito won’t load any pages.

To learn more, we have guides on how to stop Chrome Incognito from saving history, as well as a great guide that explains the location of Chrome Incognito downloads.

For some users, Chrome Incognito mode is greyed out, but our latest guide will show you how to fix that. After fixing this issue, you can go ahead and open Chrome Incognito mode with a keyboard shortcut.

This issue usually occurs because Incognito mode is blocked in Chrome, but if you’re not using Chrome, we have a guide on how to disable Private browsing in Opera that might interest you.

Don’t hesitate to leave a comment in the section below if you need more help.

More about the topics: Google Chrome Errors, Incognito mode

Teodor Nechita

Teodor Nechita Shield

Eager to help those in need, Teodor writes articles daily on subjects regarding Windows, Xbox, and all things tech-related. When not working, you may usually find him either at the gym or taking a stroll in the park, trying to find inspiration for the next articles he may write.

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