Safe internet browsing

Your web browsing history holds valuable information, not only for the commercial businesses that thrive on targeted sales but also for anyone who has unauthorised access to an account linked to your web browser. If someone has access to your browser history (or, indeed, your device), they will be able to see exactly what you have been looking at on the web.

The easiest way to avoid this is to search the web in a private browsing mode. This will allow you to browse the web without your browser saving any browsing history, cookies and passwords. Alternatively, you can use a privacy extension to your web browser which will ensure that you browse privately all of the time.

To search the web privately using Microsoft Edge in Windows:

1. Open Microsoft Edge
2. Click on the 3 horizontal dots in the top right of the window
3. Click on New InPrivate window
4. Start browsing privately

To search the web privately using Microsoft Edge on a mobile (Android or iOS):

1. Open Microsoft Edge
2. Tap on the 3 horizontal dots in the bottom right of the screen
3. Tap on New InPrivate tab
4. Start browsing privately

To search the web privately using Google Chrome in Windows or Mac OS:

1. Open Google Chrome
2. Click on the 3 vertical dots in the top right of the window
3. Click on New incognito window
4. Start browsing privately

Tip: Keyboard shortcuts to open an incognito window: Ctrl-Shift-N (Windows) or Command/cmd-Shift-N (Mac)

To search the web privately using Google Chrome on a mobile (Android or iOS):

1. Open Google Chrome
2. Tap on the tabs icon in the top right of the screen
3. Tap on the 3 vertical dots in the top right of the screen
4. Tap on New Incognito Tab
5. Start browsing privately

To search the web privately using Mozilla Firefox in Windows or Mac OS:

1. Open Mozilla Firefox
2. Click on the 3 horizontal lines in the top right of the window
3. Click on New Private Window
4. Start browsing privately

Tip: Keyboard shortcuts to open an new private window: Ctrl-Shift-P (Windows) or Command/cmd-Shift-P (Mac)

To search the web privately using Mozilla Firefox on a mobile (Android or iOS):

1. Open Mozilla Firefox
2. Tap on the tabs icon in the top right of the screen
3. Tap on the mask icon in the bottom right of the screen
4. Tap on the plus sign (+) in the bottom left of the screen to open a new tab
5. Start browsing privately

To search the web privately using Apple Safari in Mac OS:

1. Open Safari from the dock
2. Click on File in the top left of the Safari menu bar
3. Select New Private Window from the list
4. Start browsing privately

Tip: Keyboard shortcut to open a new private window: Command/cmd-Shift-N

To search the web privately using Apple Safari on an iOS mobile:

1. Open the Safari app
2. Tap on the tabs icon in the bottom right of the screen
3. Tap on Private in the bottom left of the screen
4. Tap on the plus sign (+) in the bottom centre of the screen to open a new tab
5. Start browsing privately