Sign in on a device that's not yours
To sign in temporarily on a computer, phone, or tablet that doesn't belong to you, use a private browsing window.
Browse in private to help protect your account
If you sign in on a device that's used by other people, follow the steps below. That way, others won't be able to:
- Use your Google Account
- Find out what searches you did or sites you visited
- See that your account was signed in
- On a computer, open a browser, like Chrome.
- Open a private window. To learn how and find out more, select a browser:
- Go to a Google service, like www.google.com, and sign in to your account.
- When you're done using the web, close all private windows or sign out. To sign out:
- Go to a Google service, like www.google.com.
- On the top right, select your profile image, initial, or email address.
- Choose Sign out.
When you sign in on a private window in Chrome:
- Searches you do, sites you visit, and other activity aren't saved to the browser's history.
- Your activity controls apply, so the same activity as usual is saved to your Google Account.
- Cookies are deleted after you close all private windows.
Note: Private windows in other browsers might work differently. Read the details when you follow the instructions to browse in private.
Use a private window on any device that's not yours.
For example, we recommend that you browse privately if you use:
- A public computer that's available to lots of people, like at a library or Internet cafe
- A device that you've borrowed from a friend or family member
If you share a device or browser with people you trust, you can set it up for multiple people. Learn how to share Chrome with others.
If you can't browse in private
- Open a browser, like Chrome.
- Follow these steps before you sign in and after you sign out:
- Clear the browser's cache and cookies. Learn how to clear cache and cookies.
- Delete browsing history. Learn how to delete browsing history in Chrome.
Ashley is an Accounts expert and the author of this help page. Leave her feedback below about how to improve it.