Advice Request How safe is private browsing?

[sido1545]

Hello guys
I have a few questions:
1 - How safe is private browsing?
2 - Why extensions are disabled during it?
3 - If I am someone who like to block ads and who also like private browsing what are my others options besides uBlock?
Thank you

 

[LabZero]

Private browsing is a feature included in all major Web browsers, like Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer that lets you surf the Internet without leaving traces on the PC (or on your mobile device). This means that the addresses of sites visited do not appear in your history and are not stored on your PC information such as cookies, suggestions for searches or data entered in forms.

Should not be confused with anonymous browsing offered by systems like Tor or by proxies, which allow you to disguise your online identity by using the IP address of the computer: it would be a very serious mistake made at the expense of your privacy!

In PB – you need to know – your identity remains clearly visible, there is no type of protection: IP address who is outside knows exactly who we are and what we are visiting sites. The only protection is, as already mentioned, at the local level, where no traces are left navigation activities done online.

About ad blocking you can also try AdBlock plus.

 

[XhenEd]

Extensions in private browsing are disabled by default. But you can manually enable them.
The probable reason why they are disabled by default is that these extensions may collect data, thus defeating your intention of private browsing.

Anyway, I enable uBlock Origin and IDM extensions even in Private Browsing.

 

[frogboy]

If you still want to block ads i PB install Adfender it should do the trick.

Link. AdFender - The Ultimate Ad Blocker

 

[LabZero]

If you still want to block ads i PB install Adfender it should do the trick.

Link. AdFender - The Ultimate Ad Blocker

I didn't know about AdFender, always more to learn, thanks @frogboy

 

[Av Gurus]

JonDoFox for private surfing

 

[sido1545]

JonDoFox for private surfing

What does it do?

 

[Atlas147]

Safe browsing is only good if you want to browse without cookies or any history, it will not in any way protect your IP address or location. You can consider that you would be logged out of all your other social media accounts and websites won't be able to trace your browsing habits.

However if you want to go fully anonymous you have to change your IP address, either mask it with a proxy or a VPN client. Both are good ways to appear that you are coming from another part of the world. This would also protect you from being snooped on from your company's wifi or your ISP.

Usually I disable all extensions when browsing privately, but I have activated several more useful extensions to make my browsing easier like ublock, ghostery and WOT.

 

[jamescv7]

How generally safe? Well its already 99.9% since majority of browser does not provide leaks of information that can be readable by any tool since it should not store any vital information.

Safari has a vulnerability for this and not sure if its totally fix from numerous patches.

Extensions are disabled prior for safety purpose but using the option to turn 'ON' does not provide any untoward incident in real time for possible leak information.

But totally the best way for that is make your browser under sandbox if going to any possible shady sites.

 

[Av Gurus]

Here you can see what information are visible.

Click here to start the full anonymity test and see all results.

My test:

 

[RmG152]

If you only want private browsing for temp data, Ublock and any other add-on can run in private windows on Opera.

Idk if you can do the same in another browsers

 

[Ink]

1 - How safe is private browsing?
2 - Why extensions are disabled during it?
3 - If I am someone who like to block ads and who also like private browsing what are my others options besides uBlock?
Thank you

From my view point, there are very little differences between browsing Incognito and not.

Private browsing is neither safer or risky, than browsing as normal, as only the History, Cache and Cookies are not saved.

By default, Extensions and Add-ons are disabled, but can be enabled manually. Example of Permissions for an extension in Chrome.

Find out more:
Private Browsing in Firefox, Private Browsing - Use Firefox without saving history | Firefox Help
Incognito in Chrome, Browse in private with incognito mode - Chrome Help

You can use AdBlockers (ie. AdBlock Plus, AdBlock), Anti-Trackers (ie. Ghostery, Disconnect) and VPN software (ie. ZenMate, CyberGhost etc.) to browser more anonymously.

Like I said at the beginning, when using Private/Incognito, website x and y will know you visited them.