John Paul M. Joaquin Tech 01.27.2023 04:Jan AM EST

Google Adds Biometric Authentication Lock to Chrome Incognito Tabs

Browsing using Google Chrome's Incognito Mode will soon be safer for users.

The California-based search giant recently announced it would release a new Google Chrome Android feature that locks away incognito mode when the user switches to another app.

Although Google already launched this new feature, many people worldwide have yet to receive it on their Android phones.

Google Chrome Incognito Mode Biometric Lock Details

Google mentioned in its recent blog post that Google Chrome users on Android can now make the app require a biometric authentication when they resume an interrupted incognito session rather than automatically closing it within a certain period of inactivity.

Simply put, people who are privately browsing the web on their Android phones can continue where they left off should they switch to another app or close their phones. This new feature prevents anyone other than the Android phone's user to see what the user is browsing when in Incognito mode.

This feature was already available on Google Chrome's iOS version since Sept. 16, 2022, according to 9to5Google. The feature works by instantly locking all open incognito pages behind a biometric authentication lock. Once the user or anyone other than them opens Google Chrome, a gray screen will appear with the Incognito logo at the center. Tapping on the "Unlock Incognito" button opens the system fingerprint sheet to "Verify it's You."

At this point, only the user could open Google Chrome's incognito mode through a fingerprint scan. However, if their fingerprint couldn't be scanned for some reason, the option to enter the device's PIN is also available in the screen's bottom-left corner.

To activate this biometric authentication lock on Google Chrome's Incognito mode, Google Chrome Android users should head over to the app's settings, tap on "Privacy & Security," and toggle the "Lock Incognito tabs when you close Chrome" option to On.

Although the feature should be available to all Google Chrome users on Android, Engadget notes that the feature isn't available to them as of the publishing of their article. The feature's absence means that Google is slowly rolling out the feature to all Google Chrome users on Android, though the company didn't mention how soon the feature will be available to everyone worldwide.

As such, Google Chrome users on Android should be on the lookout for the feature's arrival on their phones to see if they have it or not.

What Does Incognito Mode Do?

Google Chrome's Incognito mode is a way for people to browse the internet without leaving a history of what they've been browsing through it. The feature also doesn't save cookies, site data, and information entered in forms when it is being used to surf the web.

However, activating Incognito mode isn't the same as using a VPN. Google's disclaimer on an Incognito Mode tab that their online activity is still visible to the websites they visit while the mode is in use, their employer or school, and their internet service provider.

If you want to prevent websites, your employer/school, and your internet service provider to see your online activity, you may want to consider getting a VPN.