Updated August 2026
How to use incognito mode on YouTube
YouTube's incognito is not a browser feature - it is an account feature. It stops what you watch from shaping your profile and recommendations, which is usually the actual goal.
Turn it on in the mobile app
- -Tap your profile picture in the top-right corner.
- -Choose Turn on Incognito.
- -A banner reads You're incognito - watch and search history stop being recorded.
- -Tap the same menu and choose Turn off Incognito to return to your account.
On desktop, use two controls instead
- -Open YouTube in a browser private window - see the shortcut list if you want it fast.
- -Or pause Watch history and Search history in your Google activity controls.
- -Signing out entirely works too, at the cost of subscriptions.
Browser-side steps are in how to go incognito.
What YouTube incognito does not do
- -It does not hide the connection from your provider, carrier or WiFi network.
- -It does not mask your IP address from Google's servers.
- -It does not apply to other apps or to the browser you launched from.
- -It ends by itself after a period of inactivity, which can surprise you mid-session.
On shared networks, see what the WiFi owner can see.
Also fix the searches that led you there
Video sessions usually begin with a search, and that query is the more revealing record. An incognito search engine keeps no log of it. DeepIncognito stores nothing locally, erases on one tap and destructs the session on inactivity.
Frequently asked
Search privately. Leave no trace.
DeepIncognito is a private search layer with one-tap erase and sessions that auto-destruct on inactivity.
Try a private search