How to Turn Off Incognito Mode in Google Chrome on Windows 11

If you share your Windows PC with family members, children, employees or other users then maybe you do not wish them to be private in Chrome. Well this guide explains how to turn off Incognito mode in Chrome on Windows 11 and Windows 10 using simple Windows settings.

However, for Windows users, Chrome will instead be under control of a Chrome policy using the Registry Editor or Group Policy.

Can You Turn Off Incognito Mode Directly from Chrome?

Not really. There is no entry in Chrome’s standard Settings menu as known as Disable Incognito Mode.

Regularly, anybody can open another Incognito window from the three-dot menu or by squeezing Ctrl + Shift + N. Incognito perusing basically strips Chrome of a portion of its potential documenting undertakings, in light of the fact that it doesn’t reserve specific Internet history and other information once you close the private window. This does not mean that your activity is totally hidden or anonymous.

It has to be a Chrome policy in Windows if you want them not able to open Incognito windows at all.

Now let’s take a look at the two simplest methods.

Disable Incognito Mode Using Registry Editor

This is the approach I would suggest for most personal Windows PCs, particularly if you’re running Windows 11/10 Home.

This method does not require using the Group Policy Editor. We literally just create a Windows Registry Chrome policy.

Step 1: Open Registry Editor

Now, hit Windows + R combination on your keyboard to make the Run dialog box.

Type:

regedit

and press Enter.

If Windows displays a User Account Control prompt asking whether you want to allow Registry Editor to make changes, click Yes.

Step 2: Go to the Chrome policy location

In Registry Editor, navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies

Look for a folder named Google.

If you don’t see it, don’t worry. You’ll need to create it.

Right-click Policies, select New > Key, and name the new key: Google

Now right-click the newly created Google key and create another key named: Chrome

Your final path should look like this:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome pic4

Google’s documentation confirms that Windows Registry can be used to manage Chrome policies, including on computers that aren’t joined to an Active Directory domain.

Step 3: Create the Incognito policy

Select the Chrome folder.

Now look at the right-hand side of Registry Editor.

Right-click an empty area and choose:

New > DWORD (32-bit) Value

Name the new value: IncognitoModeAvailability

Make sure you type the name exactly as shown. Even a small spelling mistake will prevent Chrome from recognizing the policy.

Step 4: Set the value to 1

Double-click IncognitoModeAvailability.

Under Value data, enter: 1

Leave Base set to Hexadecimal and click OK.

The important part here is the number 1. This is the setting that tells Chrome to disable Incognito Mode. If you want to learn more about Chrome’s available policies, you can check the Google Chrome Enterprise Policy List.

• 0 = Incognito Mode available
• 1 = Incognito Mode disabled
• 2 = Incognito Mode forced

For this guide, we want the value to be 1.

Step 5: Restart Google Chrome

Now completely close Google Chrome.

Make sure all Chrome windows are closed, then open Chrome again.

Click the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner.

You should no longer be able to open a new Incognito window. The New Incognito Window option should be unavailable.

Also, pressing Ctrl + Shift + N should no longer open an Incognito window.

That’s it. You have successfully managed to turn off Incognito Mode in Chrome using the Windows Registry.

Disable Chrome Incognito Mode Using Group Policy (Optional)

If you are on Windows 11/10 Pro, Enterprise or any other edition that includes the Group Policy Editor, we can use Group Policy too.

This is helpful for if you are managing multiple computers or already have Chrome administrative templates.

Step 1: Open Group Policy Editor

Press Windows + R.

Type:

gpedit.msc

Press Enter.

If Group Policy Editor opens, continue with the next step.

If you are using Windows Home and gpedit.msc isn’t available, don’t worry. You can simply use Method 1, because the Registry method works without Group Policy Editor.

But, don’t worry, if you’re using Windows 10 or 11 Home and gpedit.msc isn’t available on your PC, check out our guide on how to enable Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) in Windows 10/11 Home Edition before continuing.

Step 2: Find the Google Chrome policies

In Group Policy Editor, go to:

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Google > Google Chrome

Depending on how your Chrome administrative templates are installed, you may see the policies under the User Configuration section instead.

Google’s current documentation lists the Chrome policy path through Administrative Templates > Google > Google Chrome.

Step 3: Open Incognito mode availability

Find the policy called:

Incognito mode availability

Double-click it.

Select Enabled.

You’ll then get an option for the type of Incognito availability.

Choose:

Incognito mode disabled

Click Apply, and then click OK.

Step 4: Restart Chrome

Close all Chrome windows and open Chrome again.

Try clicking the three-dot menu. The option to open a new Incognito window should now be disabled.

You can also test the keyboard shortcut:

Ctrl + Shift + N

It should no longer launch a new Incognito window.

How to Check Whether the Chrome Policy Is Working

If the setting doesn’t appear to work immediately, Chrome has a useful built-in page that lets you check its policies.

Open Chrome and type this in the address bar:

chrome://policy

Press Enter.

Look for:

IncognitoModeAvailability

If you’ve configured the Registry or Group Policy correctly, the policy should appear there with a value of 1.

How to Enable Incognito Mode Again

You can easily reverse the change later if you need Incognito Mode back.

If you used the Registry method, open Registry Editor and go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome

Find IncognitoModeAvailability.

You can either delete this value or change its value data to 0.

After that, restart Chrome.

Setting the policy to 0 makes Incognito Mode available again.

If you used Group Policy, open Incognito mode availability again and change the setting back to allow Incognito Mode.

One Important Thing to Remember

And no, if you disable Incognito Mode it does not mean that Chrome can now track everything a user does online.

The Incognito Mode only stops Chrome from saving that certain information directly on the computer once you close down the incognito window. However, it does not hide your activity from websites, your internet provider or a network administrator, completely.

For that, if you are disabling Incognito Mode on a family or shared PC, note that this is only disabling private-browsing in Chrome. It is not a full parental-control or internet-monitoring tool.

Conclusion

For those who just want to turn off Incognito Mode in Chrome on a Windows 11/10 PC, Registry maybe the easiest way. It does not need Group Policy Editor and creates a single Chrome policy.

For Pro and Enterprise users familiar with Group Policy, the Group Policy method is a cleaner choice.

And if you want Incognito Mode at some point, just change it back to 0 or remove the policy.

Frequently Asked Questions