How to Enable Chrome Extensions in Incognito Mode

Incognito mode allows you to browse the web without recording the sites you visit, storing cookies, or saving your search queries. However, Google Chrome disables any extensions you have installed when you open an incognito window. While this ensures no data is collected by third-party extensions while you browse, it can also cause problems if you utilize Chrome extensions to block ads or malware.

If you want the privacy of incognito mode but still need your favorite browser tools, the steps below will show you how to enable Chrome extensions in incognito mode.

Note: the following steps will also work in Chromium and Vivaldi which are built on the same underlying infrastructure as Google Chrome.

Enabling Chrome Extensions in Incognito Mode

Start by launching Google Chrome and clicking the “three dots” hamburger icon at the upper right-hand corner of the top bar.

From the context menu, select Extensions -> Manage Extensions. You will see all the extensions that you have installed on your browser.

Note: You can also enter chrome://extensions/ in the address bar to reach the same page.

Go through the extensions and find the one that you want to enable on Incognito mode, then click Details. In my case, I want to enable my Bitwarden extension for my private browsing sessions.

Scroll down the page and toggle the Allow in Incognito switch.

Note: some Chrome extensions will display a warning that it cannot prevent extensions from recording your browser history or storing data. As such, make sure you only enable extensions that you trust.

Verify that your extension is working properly in Incognito mode by pressing Ctrl + Shift + N to create a new private session.

Click the puzzle piece icon beside the Incognito label on your private session. This will list all the extensions that are currently running on incognito mode.

Good to know: learn how you can protect your online activities by using some of the best privacy-oriented web browsers today.

How to Disable Chrome Extensions in Incognito Mode

While running extensions in incognito mode is convenient, leaving them on can be a security risk, especially if you’re using an add-on you don’t fully trust. As such, it’s good practice to disable your extension’s incognito access once you’re done with your private browsing session.

On a side note: learn how you can save your Chrome history in Incognito mode.

To start, open your browser’s incognito session, then click the puzzle piece icon on the browser’s upper right corner.

In the small pop-up menu, look for the extension that you want to disable, then click the three dots icon beside the extension’s name.

Select Manage Extension.

Scroll through the extension’s settings page, and toggle the Allow in Incognito option to off to disable your Chrome extension.

Confirm that your extension is not running on Incognito mode by opening a new private session and check if the extension shows up in the puzzle piece submenu. If the puzzle piece icon is not present, that means no extensions are activated for Incognito mode.

By enabling the extensions in Incognito mode, it allows you to browse the web privately without affecting your productivity. Meanwhile, you can check out some of the best security and privacy Chrome extensions to improve your web security. On the other hand, if you are having issue uninstalling Google Chrome extensions, we have the fixes here.

Image credit: Andrew Neel via Unsplash. All alterations and screenshots by Ramces Red.

Ramces Red - Staff Writer

Ramces is a technology writer that lived with computers all his life. A prolific reader and a student of Anthropology, he is an eccentric character that writes articles about Linux and anything *nix.