How to lock active incognito tabs on Android Chrome for more privacy

Incognito mode is a great way to use the Chrome browser on Android without leaving any breadcrumbs behind for sites and services to track you. I use it regularly, and it rarely fails me. 

However, one thing that has always bothered me about the incognito mode is that if I leave an incognito tab open, anyone who has access to my phone can view it. That always seemed like a privacy disaster waiting in the wings. 

Also: 5 quick tips for better Android phone security now

If you're serious about your privacy and want to take Chrome's incognito mode to the next level, I've got just the trick for you.

What we're going to do is enable a feature that will require user authentication before active incognito tabs can be viewed. 

That's fancy. Let's make it happen.

Requirements

To make this work, you'll need an updated Android phone with Chrome version 105 or newer. That's all you need, let's do it.

How to lock Android Chrome active incognito tabs for heightened privacy

One thing to remember, however, is that this doesn't work if you actually close Chrome (as that will automatically close your incognito tabs). This only works if you leave Chrome running in memory (such as when you open a new app or go to the home screen).

Also: The 5 best browsers for privacy: Secure web browsing

There you go, you've just added an extra layer of privacy to Android such that when you leave Chrome open, any incognito tabs will be locked behind user authentication.