Everyone has their own personal internet browser preference. For one reason or another, you’ve chosen the browser that you currently use. Since I bought my first Mac, I had always used (and was satisfied with) Safari, because I didn’t see the point in trying out a different browser when it worked fine without issue.
At some point, though, I tried out Chrome, which ended up replacing Safari due to the multi-function address bar (Google search, or type in a URL). For the past few years, I have only been using Chrome — until the recent release on Mountain Lion, which incorporated an updated version of Safari, and guess what one of those updates was? A Google-searchable address bar. I could finally go back to my first love.
There was, however, one more hitch. Since I had started using Chrome, I had been using what’s called “Incognito” mode quite often. (Enough to warrant my memorization of the keyboard command that puts the browser into it.) Incognito mode basically involves using your browser as you normally would, but no information from the webpages visited is stored on your computer.
As an example, I use Incognito mode frequently when using a communal computer in my house. It allows me to confidently log into a website (Facebook, Gmail, etc.), and know that none of that information will be retained. Another use would be if you have two different email accounts with the same provider, and would like to log into both simultaneously.
Safari has an option like Chrome’s Incognito mode, called “Private Browsing”. To enable Private Browsing, simply click on “Safari” in the menu bar, and select “Private Browsing…”. A dialog box will pop up briefly explaining Private browsing, and asking you to confirm you would like to switch to it. You can bypass this dialog box the next time you enable it by holding the option key on your keyboard while clicking “Private Browsing.”
To make enabling Private browsing even easier/faster, I set up a keyboard command for it in my Keyboard preferences, located within System Preferences. Select the “Keyboard Shortcuts” tab, then click “Application Shortcuts.” Click on the + symbol, type in “Private Browsing” where it says “Menu Title”, and then type your keyboard shortcut in the second box. Hit “Add” and you’re all set. (Tip: if you weren’t aware of custom Keyboard Shortcuts, they can be used in most applications!)