Incognito mode for Chrome is probably one of the most useful things about the browser. Google revealed many things at I/O 2019 last May but, as typical, not all of them have materialized just yet. Of course, those may still happen in due time, and it seems that Google is indeed taking its sweet time for others. Google announced a privacy feature for Maps but it seems that it will still be quite a while before Google Maps’ incognito mode rolls out to all.
Not having certain searches or websites associated with your Google account can be empowering or enabling depending who you ask. Google announced that it was bringing the feature to Google Maps back at its developer conference earlier this year. The feature is finally rolling out to those select few in the Maps preview community.
Like the Chrome version, Incognito for Google Maps prevents places you search for or navigate to from being saved to your Google Account. DroidLife reported that users in the preview group received an email stating: “Use Incognito Mode when you don’t want your activity — like the places you search for or navigate to — to be saved to your Google account.”
To activate Incognito mode, you can tap on your profile picture and choose “Turn on Incognito Mode” amid the options. A black bar will show up at the top of the screen for a visual confirmation similar to how Chrome turns on a dark mode when in the same mode.
This makes three major Google services that have Incognito mode: Chrome, Maps, and YouTube. It is worth noting that while Incognito mode prevents your searches from being saved to your Google account, it does not prevent ISPs or other people with the means to sniff the network you’re on from seeing your internet traffic. Still, it is a welcome feature for those who want a little privacy for their Maps queries.
