Private Browsing

If you share a computer with others, Private Browsing adds a new level of privacy and protection of your personal information. Ordinarily, when you browse web sites, the browser keeps a record (a history file) of the web pages you opened. If you entered a password to enter a secure site, or if you shop online, some of that personal information may be stored and available for someone to find. When you turn on Private Browsing, Safari stops storing certain information for you, such as information you entered on a web page, usernames, passwords, even credit card numbers.

When Private Browsing is turned on

• Web pages you visit are not added to the History list.

• Downloaded items are automatically removed from the Downloads window.

• AutoFill information isn't saved, including names and passwords.

• Searches entered in the Google search field are not added to the search field's pop-up menu.

• Cookies that were downloaded during web page visits are automatically deleted when Private Browsing is turned off.

To turn on Private Browsing

The Safari menu is where you can turn on options for Private Browsing, Reset Safari, and Empty Cache.

1.	Select the Safari window for which you want to turn on Private Browsing.
2.	From the Safari menu choose "Private Browsing." A checkmark appears next to the item to indicate it's turned on. To turn off Private Browsing, choose the item again to remove the checkmark.

If you turn on Private Browsing after you've started browsing, the History menu retains the web pages that you visited before you turned on Private Browsing, but does not add currently visited pages to the list.

When you finish browsing, close the Safari window you used to prevent someone from using the Back button to trace your steps.

Other privacy tips

• To manually clear the History of its list of visited web page, from the History menu choose "Clear History."

• To manually clear the Safari cache of stored temporary information, from the Safari menu choose "Empty Cache…."

• To do both of the above, plus clear the Downloads window, remove cookies, remove any AutoFill text, and clear Google search entries, from the Safari menu choose "Reset Safari…."