Which browser was the first to include a private browsing mode?

Safari 2.0 was the first browser to include a private browsing mode. Apple introduced Safari’s Private Browsing feature in April 2005, allowing users to browse without retaining the usual local history and session records.

The feature was designed primarily for privacy on shared devices. A private session could avoid saving browsing history, cookies, cache data, and form information after the session ended. Safari’s implementation became an influential model for similar features in other mainstream browsers.

Private browsing is often confused with anonymity, but it does not hide activity from websites, internet service providers, employers, school networks, or anyone monitoring the connection. It mainly limits what the browser stores locally on the device. Internet Explorer 8 later called its version InPrivate Browsing, Firefox added Private Browsing in version 3.5, and Chrome introduced Incognito mode in December 2008.