Disable Private Browsing in Safari on iMac

Safari > Preferences > General > "Safari opens with..." needs to be changed to "A new window" instead of "A new private window"

Yosemite introduced private browsing windows. If you want to have a private window, just click File > New Private Window

To end your private browsing session, just close the Private window

Starkbytes wrote:

I've spent some time trying to figure out how to disable the Private browsing feature from Safari on an iMac. Has anyone been able to do that?

Thanks in advance.

You can't disable it. Your options are to either use it or not use it.

So you want to completely remove the option of a Private browsing window, correct?

Force the user to use Safari as normal without an option of private browsing...

I have read some info on removing the menu option completely with Xcodes. I'm going to try it on a test computer and let you know if it works.

Is this for a kid?

Create a new account with Parental Controls, and just block access to Safari.

Allow access to the other browser that allows you to disable browsing.

What you are trying to do is not possible by any means that I have found. I even ran some terminal commands on another machine to test but couldn't find anything.

Starkbytes wrote:

OK - This *****! I was able to delete Safari all together off my Mac, and use a different browser and block private mode browsing. I updated the iOS, and Safari has returned and now I cannot delete the Safari application. When I attempt to delete it I get a dialog box that reads ""Safari.app" can't be modified or deleted because it's required by OS X." This is soooo messed up! WTH Apple! I want to configure my computer for my needs. I don't want to be force fed what you want me to have. If anyone knows of a way around this or the ability to disable the ability to browse in private mode, I'd be greatly appreciative. Many thanks everyone!

One, I don't know what OS you were using before, but you couldn't have deleted Safari from your computer because OS X will not allow you to do that. You discovered that for yourself when you tried to do it again. Two, whatever program you used to "delete" Safari from your computer the first time needs to be uninstalled, because it sounds like MacKeeper/CleanMyMac/TuneMyMac, and they are absolute garbage and destroying your computer. Three, you don't need to do anything to Safari to use another browser. You just download the other browser and begin using it. It's not hurting anything just sitting on your hard drive. It takes up less space than a lot of stuff that's already there. Four, Apple is not "force feeding" you anything. If you don't want to use Safari, don't use it. If you don't want to use iTunes, don't use it. If you don't want to use Mail, don't use it.

If you don't like the fact that OS X is configured this way, my suggestion would be buy a PC and use Windows. Seriously.

I don't think you can. I installed an app called Qustodio (which I highly recommend) which tracks their search terms even if they are in private browser mode. There is a bit of a lag, but any words they search for will show up in the Qustodio reports.

I too had the same question. I found a way to disable incognito mode on google chrome, and turn off using safari (I haven't tried deleting safari after doing this, but you might be able to because it gives you permission to change permissions & access so it might be worth a try.)

Here's what I did.

1. download google chrome

2. use this youtube video https://youtu.be/qF6UmSrR6ZQand the free application pref setter to disable/hide incognito mode (the equivalent to private browsing in safari). Unlike safari, this way actually allows you to change the plist and disable incognito mode.

Just a note - you need to use the IncognitoModeAvailability and then set it to Integer then set it to 1.

3. use this website's http://osxdaily.com/2015/10/05/disable-rootless-system-integrity-protection-mac- os-x/ instructions to disable SIP on OS X El Capitan.

4. after the reboot you can find the safari application, right click, unlock the padlock on the bottom right, and set all of the permissions to "no access" or "read only". Then if you try to access safari nothing will happen.

5. Use google chrome, which after following steps 1 & 2 no longer has incognito mode as an option.