How to Always Start Chrome in Incognito Mode

If you use Google Chrome as your choice of web browser, I am sure you have already figured out the many benefits of browsing in Incognito Mode. First of all, it doesn’t save your browsing data such as your searches, logins, pages you visited and cookies. However, Incognito does not prevent your ISPs from keeping a track of what you have visited, it’s just good for keeping your own computer from storing the data. By default, Chrome doesn’t start in Incognito Mode nor does it have a setting to always start in that mode. It has to be done manually by either right clicking on your Chrome icon on the taskbar if you have it pinned or once you open the browser, clicking on the settings icon and selecting New incognito window. You may also press Ctrl+Shift+N to open an Incognito window. Who wants to go through all that? This article shows how you can create a desktop icon to always start Chrome in Incognito Mode.

Creating a desktop icon to start Chrome in Incognito Mode, all the time!

Before you start, minimize all the windows and view your Windows desktop. If you have Chrome installed in your system, you should already have a Google Chrome icon on the desktop like the one shown below. Copy this icon and paste it on your desktop to have a second Google Chrome icon. Feel free to change either of the icon to start in Incognito mode.

Step 1: Right click on the Google Chrome icon on your desktop and select Properties.

Step 2: Click on the Shortcut Tab and then click on the Target field. Ensure your cursor is all the way at the end of the text in Target field. Hit the space bar to put in a space and copy and paste the following code into the Target field. 

--incognito

Now, your Target field should look like the image shown below. Click Apply and then Enter.

Now, clicking on the Google Chrome icon, the one you just updated the Target for, will always start Chrome in Incognito mode. Now, let’s have some fun.

You will want to rename this icon to “Google Chrome Incognito” to differentiate between the normal mode and the Incognito mode icons. You can also give the Incognito icon a new look, why not the official Incognito icon? To do this, right click on the Google Chrome Incognito icon and select Properties. 

Then click on Change Icon button as shown below:

Now, select the official Incognito icon and click OK.

Then click on Apply and OK to change the icon for your Incognito shortcut on desktop. There you go, now when you double click on this icon, Chrome will start in Incognito mode.