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Safari private browsing mode default

With Safari (on El Capitan), is there a way to set private browsing mode as default? I know that I can open a new Private Window, but subsequent restarts of Safari go back to normal mode by default.


Thanks.

MacBook Pro (15-inch Late 2011), OS X El Capitan (10.11.3), Safari 9.0.3

Posted on Mar 15, 2016 9:25 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Aug 8, 2016 3:44 AM

How to make the "Safari opens with" preference option available?


1. System Preferences > General

Checkmark the box beside "Close windows when quitting an app".

User uploaded file


2. Safari > Preferences > General > Safari opens with:


User uploaded file

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May 19, 2017 10:10 AM in response to Community User

You wrote : what I'm trying to achieve is that safari opens with a private window whenever opening a new window from the dock .

When you have already set private browsing settings in safari preferences > General > New private window , and when you press command + W the window will come down to the dock .


And again if you click on the safari icon that is yet open showing white dot beneath it , if you click on safari icon it will always open normal browsing window .


But , if you wish you can press shift + command + N keys on the keyboard to open private browsing window .


In this way , you have opened a normal browsing window , simultaneously a private browsing window and you can work / Browse on both windows , and if you view any subject in private browsing , the second normal browsing window will never know what you have browsed , as cookies are never saved in private browsing .

An article : Safari for Mac: Use Private Browsing windows in Safari

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May 17, 2017 1:54 PM in response to rckingsley

I find that this only works when first starting up the app. If I am browsing in private mode and then close the window without quitting the app (little dot still on next to safari in dock) and then open a new window, it goes back to normal. I have to 'command-Q' to quit safari if I want it to open in private mode next time. Anyone else have this problem?

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May 18, 2017 1:11 PM in response to Eric Root

Sure, but that kinda defeats the purpose of setting the preference to 'safari opens with a new private window.' I could go through the file menu anytime, what I'm trying to achieve is that safari opens with a private window whenever opening a new window from the dock

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May 19, 2017 6:58 AM in response to Community User

Might be a corrupt .plist.


Do a backup, preferably 2 backups on 2 separate drives.


Quit the application.


Go to Finder and select your user/home folder. With that Finder window as the front window, either select Finder/View/Show View options or go command - J. When the View options opens, check ’Show Library Folder’. That should make your user library folder visible in your user/home folder. Select Library. Then go to Preferences/com.apple.Safari.plist. Move the .plist to your desktop.


Restart the computer, open the application, and test. If it works okay, delete the plist from the desktop.


If the application is the same, return the .plist to where you got it from, overwriting the newer one.


Thanks to leonie for some information contained in this.

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Safari private browsing mode default

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