YouTube is one of the most visited portals in Italy, with hundreds of videos uploaded every hour by ordinary people and important influencers (called in this case "YouTuber"). This site, which for many young and very young has actually replaced television, can collect a lot of personal data between browsing history and videos that we like, so we can offer new interesting videos directly in the right column or on the home, maximizing the viewing experience. If we fear that videos seen in the past may bring up a category of videos that we don't like or simply want to protect our privacy, in this guide we will show you how to browse anonymously while watching YouTube videos .
For the guide we will show you all the steps necessary to surf anonymously from PC (with any browser) and from smartphone (through official apps and mobile browsers).
READ ALSO -> Surf anonymously on the Internet with proxies, vpn and fake IP addresses
1) How to surf anonymously on YouTube from a PC browser
To surf anonymously on YouTube from any computer, simply take advantage of the anonymous mode, integrated in all modern browsers.
This mode can also be used to visit other sites with which we do not want to share part of the data or to access with other credentials, therefore it can be used in a large number of scenarios (not necessarily linked to the search for anonymity on YouTube).
- On Google Chrome, the most popular web browser, we can access the incognito mode by pressing the CTRL + SHIFT + N keys on the keyboard or by opening the dedicated item in the menu at the top right ( New incognito window ).
- On Mozilla Firefox, a famous open source browser designed for privacy and security, we can access anonymous mode by pressing the CTRL + SHIFT + P keys or by clicking on the New anonymous window item in the top right menu.
- On Microsoft Edge, the browser integrated in Windows 10, we can navigate in incognito mode by pressing the same keys already seen on Firefox, ie CTRL + SHIFT + P or by clicking on the item New InPrivate window, in the menu at the top right.
- On Safari, the browser included in all versions of Max OS X (the operating system of Apple computers) we can activate the incognito mode by clicking on File at the top and selecting the New private window item; alternatively we can use the keyboard shortcut Shift + Command + N.
After opening the incognito window, everything we do inside will not be saved inside the PC, so we will be able to open the YouTube page and browse anonymously while watching a new video.
In this case the only data that can be captured are the IP address and information on the nature of the browser used; if we also want to "mask" the IP, we recommend you read our guide dedicated to VPNs, present here -> Best services and free VPN programs to surf safely and freely .
2) How to surf anonymously on YouTube from browser for mobile devices
If we often view YouTube videos from our Android or iOS smartphone, we can "separate" the views of the app by visiting the YouTube site from a mobile browser.
For Android phones we can use anonymous mode on various browsers, below is a list of the fastest and most reliable ones:
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Opera Browser
Alternatively, we can download Android browsers designed exclusively to maintain anonymity, such as those available below:
- InBrowser
- Private Browser
- DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser
Both using the tabs with anonymous navigation (we can find them in all the browsers listed in the app menu) and using the browser apps designed for anonymous and private browsing, we will get maximum privacy wherever we are.
On iPhones we can activate anonymous mode directly in the browser provided in the system: simply open it, select the tab symbol and finally select the Private button; a new tab will open where you can surf anonymously while watching a YouTube video.
If we are looking for other valid alternative browser apps on iPhone to surf anonymously, we have collected the best ones in the list below:
- Private Browsing Web Browser
- Onion Browser
- VPN + TOR Browser
To learn more, we refer you to our guide to the best VPN apps for Android and iOS, available here -> Best VPNs for Android, free and unlimited iPhones .
3) How to surf anonymously from the YouTube mobile apps
Another effective method to surf anonymously when we see a YouTube video from a smartphone or tablet involves the use of the anonymous mode integrated directly into the app.
First let's make sure that the app on our device is up to date, using the links here -> YouTube (Android) and YouTube (iOS).
After this verification, we open the YouTube app on our device, select our profile icon then press on the item Activate incognito mode .
The app will immediately exit (temporarily) from our associated YouTube account and disable data collection through views and history, so as not to leave traces of the videos seen. To deactivate the mode, simply select the icon at the top right again and press the Disable incognito mode item; alternatively we can also wait 5 minutes by closing the app and ignoring it: it will automatically deactivate the mode and return to normal mode.
If we want to discover other methods to prevent YouTube from tracking us, we refer you to reading our dedicated guide available below.
READ ALSO -> Clear the Youtube history of searches and videos viewed
