Google Plans to Make It More Difficult for Sites to Block Chrome’s Incognito Mode

For the secrecy - disposed among us , Chrome ’s Incognito mode can proffer at least someadded ataraxis of mindduring browsing session . But some website may bang that you ’re seek to access them in Incognito , and Google reportedly want to put a lid on it .

9to5Googlereported Friday that Google is planning to make it harder for sites to see that you ’re using Incognito musical mode . One way developers are able to see that you are using it is by attempt to use the “ FileSystem ” API , which permit permanent file to be made and is otherwise handicapped while using Incognito , per 9to5Google :

manifestly , being capable to so easily observe whether a Chrome user is presently Incognito was not Google ’s intention . Aseries of late commitsto Chromium ’s Gerrit source code management disclose that Google is in conclusion looking to clear this issue , after eld of being aware of it .

Argentina’s President Javier Milei (left) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., holding a chainsaw in a photo posted to Kennedy’s X account on May 27. 2025.

basically , when asked for a file system of rules while in Incognito , Chrome will make a virtual one using RAM , to fully ensure it ’s deleted once you allow Incognito . This should easily shut down all current method acting for observe if Chrome is Incognito .

Alexei Miagkov of the Electronic Frontier Foundation told Ars at the time that he did n’t know of other land site taking the measure , but 9to5Google notice developer have sleep together about the workaround for some meter now . And if you opt to access to an story while in Incognito , Miagkov said , “ you make it loose for [ sites ] to keep tracking you , to keep build their ( ad ) exploiter profiles . ”

9to5Google said it obtained an internal doc designate that Google plans to remove the FileSystem API should it discover that it ’s being used mostly for the use of notice Incognito mode . The situation also reported that the solution is expected to first get in as anexperimental featurein Chrome 74 , releasing in April , before potentially becoming a default setting in Chrome 76 or later .

William Duplessie