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YouTube Might Finally Get An Incognito Mode (androidpolice.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the hidden-activity dept.

Currently, you can head to the "History and Privacy" settings in YouTube and toggle on the options to pause watch and search history if you don't want the site to track your searches and watched videos, but that can be a bit complicated each time you want to search for something weird. According to Android Police, "YouTube will make it a little easier to go into incognito without digging into many settings and without having to disable it later." A new "Incognito Mode" will appear when you tap your account avatar in the top right of the app. From the report: With "Incognito Mode" on, all your activity from the current session is not saved and subscriptions are hidden too. It's as if you were signed out without being so, and there's a neat incognito icon replacing your avatar. If you turn off Incognito or become inactive on YouTube, you'll be back to using your own account.

61 comments

  1. Why is this feature on the APP? Fix the website! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why is this feature on the APP? Fix the website too!

    CAPTCHA: terrible

  2. ... or, you know ... by TechnoLuddite · · Score: 1

    ... you could just, well, log out.

    1. Re: ... or, you know ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I *ALWAYS* use youtube logged out, yet I have seen on many occasions where I was discussing a topic with someone, and youtube recommends a video on that exact same topic... even though I was not logged in. I believe my android phone is listening, and recommending videos based on things I talk about.

    2. Re: ... or, you know ... by rmdingler · · Score: 1

      Heh. You don't suppose youtube could serve a not so delicious cookie to your IP address that you didn't request, do you?

      But yeah, it's probably that Benedict android phone... perhaps you could fabricate a miniature tinfoil hat for that malevolent little bastard.

      --
      Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

      Ernest Hemingway

    3. Re: ... or, you know ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why would you ever log in to watch youtube?

    4. Re: ... or, you know ... by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 1

      How do you comment without logging in?

    5. Re: ... or, you know ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      if you have youtube red, this would mean ads as well as the lack of youtube red content.

    6. Re: ... or, you know ... by arglebargle_xiv · · Score: 2

      Problem is that half the videos on Youtube then become inaccessible because, just in case some snowflake might get offended by a comedian making a joke with a naughty word in it, they restrict them to logged-in users only. About the only thing you can safely watch en masse without being logged in is cat videos, World's Funniest Decapitation Accidents, and 10,000,000 videos of millenials whining about something.

    7. Re: ... or, you know ... by omnichad · · Score: 2

      And then have to log in again because the content requires you to prove you are 18+, so I have heard.

    8. Re: ... or, you know ... by omnichad · · Score: 2

      This is called the frequency illusion or Baader Meinhof phenomenon. Basically, selective attention - it was going to be there regardless, but because it's something you've seen or discussed elsewhere recently it is more easily noticed.

    9. Re: ... or, you know ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Apparently there are people (possibly most people) who just leave everything logged in.

      I know, I know, I'm not one of them either, but I get the feeling we're the anomalies here.

    10. Re: ... or, you know ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      This is called the cucked Google fanboi delusion. Basically, Google did nothing wrong. A multinational corporation with billions of dollars and connection to alphabet agencies, built upon data collection and processing, surely would never do something like scrape audio for keywords in a similar fashion to what they already do with e-mail. Stop being mean to them, you bigot.

    11. Re: ... or, you know ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why would anyone post a comment on Youtube?
      I've seen a lot of websites where the advice "Don't read the comments section" is appropriate, but none more so than Youtube.

    12. Re: ... or, you know ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Never heard of nsfwyoutube.com?

    13. Re: ... or, you know ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or better yet, don't log into YouTube unless you're uploading, and instead view through private browsing mode with a VPN.

    14. Re: ... or, you know ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      just in case some snowflake might get offended by a comedian making a joke with a naughty word in it

      Let's face it. Those are religious puritans and calling them snowflakes doesn't do anything good since they are convinced that 'snowflakes' is a reference to them hippies.

      It's like people getting offended by the difficulty slider in the last south park game.
      Like really, you bought a south park game and is upset that it is offensive?
      But sure, it is everyone else that is a snowflake.

    15. Re: ... or, you know ... by houghi · · Score: 2

      Just as with sports. You yell at the screen.

      --
      Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
    16. Re: ... or, you know ... by Catbeller · · Score: 1

      A good chunk of YouTube is rated "adult" and requires a login. "Adult" means anything from ASMR to naughty words.

    17. Re: ... or, you know ... by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 1

      Why would you ever log in to watch youtube?

      One wouldn't want to be tracked for one's innocent scientific interest in watching a medical exam video unofficially called "The Shocker", which could be misinterpreted as prurient interest.

      --
      (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
    18. Re: ... or, you know ... by houghi · · Score: 1

      Only if you look at it on youtube. Not that hard to make web pagethat embeds the video. Do it allthe time.

      --
      Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
  3. Lies by john+of+sparta · · Score: 1

    call them what they are

    1. Re:Lies by qzzpjs · · Score: 2

      call them what they are

      You're probably right. The easiest way to find the people that law enforcement wants to know about is to let you turn on a "don't watch me, I'm not doing anything sketchy" option.

  4. You know this is because of dudes. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ain't no ladies wanting this.

    We all know why. LMAO

    1. Re: You know this is because of dudes. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      Finally I can watch hairy girls doing armpit farts without it showing in my history!

  5. The youtube app has gotten very unstable lately by Maxo-Texas · · Score: 1

    it used to be fine but after the last round of updates after playing 7-10 videos it's hanging.

    --
    She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
  6. When is Google improving YouTube's interface? by bogaboga · · Score: 1

    I wonder why they don't first make YouTube's interface a little better: -

    My gripes...

    1: On the desktop version [using Windows 10 and Chrome], losing view of the video once I start scrolling through the comments. The same applies to videos I have designated as those to watch later.

    2: No video controls? Contrast, brightness, hue etc etc...

    I just do not get it.

    1. Re:When is Google improving YouTube's interface? by epine · · Score: 1

      The most ridiculous missing feature on YouTube is the inability to time-shift the audio track when some idiot uploads video with the audio badly out of sync.

      Alternatively, Google's machine learning could correct this automatically, in most cases.

    2. Re:When is Google improving YouTube's interface? by antdude · · Score: 1

      YouTube removed its damn classic design. The new one is so slow, big, bloated, etc.! Argh. :(

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    3. Re:When is Google improving YouTube's interface? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      The most ridiculous missing feature on YouTube is the inability to time-shift the audio track when some idiot uploads video with the audio badly out of sync.

      That is annoying, but you can solve it easily enough by downloading the video with youtube-dl and then time-shifting the audio with vlc :)

      What annoys me most about the interface is that I can't tear off a tab, resize the window to an arbitrary size, and zoom the video to fill the window. Which is another problem which sends me to the downloader.

      As an added bonus, when you use youtube-dl you never have to see an ad unless it's actually part of the video. Win-win!

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  7. Uh, why not use the browser's private mode by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is this not exactly what Chrome Incognito / the others' equivalents are for? That's harder to mistakenly believe you're in when you're not, too...

    1. Re:Uh, why not use the browser's private mode by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't think so. Using Incognito mode in your browser doesn't prevent you from logging into Google when watching youtubes, and thus having those appear in your history.

      They are related concepts certainly, but in different areas.

    2. Re:Uh, why not use the browser's private mode by jetkust · · Score: 3, Informative

      They are talking about adding this to the YouTube Android App, not the website. If using the website, you still have to pause your history the old way I'm guessing. But even then your history would still be saved by your browser. So realistically you'd have to go into Incognito mode, AND pause your history too.

    3. Re:Uh, why not use the browser's private mode by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      and thus having those appear in your history.

      Appearing or not in your history they SHOW TO YOU, you mean?

    4. Re:Uh, why not use the browser's private mode by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't think you understand how incognito mode works on a desktop browser.

      The only way Google would be able update your viewing history while in browser incognito mode is if you log in. Well, don't log in.

      Of course they can and likely do still track you in the shadow profile by your IP address and browser fingerprint, but the article is about the publicly-visible viewing history in Youtube.

    5. Re:Uh, why not use the browser's private mode by forkfail · · Score: 1

      Incognito mode is a bit of a misnomer.

      More like giving a kid a blanket and telling him if he hides under it, he is invisible.

      --
      Check your premises.
    6. Re:Uh, why not use the browser's private mode by jetkust · · Score: 1

      Right, but this article is about temporarily pausing history WHILE you are logged into your account.

    7. Re:Uh, why not use the browser's private mode by swillden · · Score: 1

      Right, but this article is about temporarily pausing history WHILE you are logged into your account.

      If you're using a browser and you open an incognito browser window then you're not logged into your account. Not unless you go through the process of logging in from the incognito window, and why would you do that?

      --
      Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
  8. pause watch and search history is a SCAM by citizenr · · Score: 1

    Iv had both watch and search history paused for years now, and somehow YT keeps recommending me videos relevant to the ones I watched few days ago, Magic!
    They keep tracking that shit no matter what you do.

    --
    Who logs in to gdm? Not I, said the duck.
    1. Re: pause watch and search history is a SCAM by jetkust · · Score: 1

      The same thing would happen if you didn't have an account. This is a fairly well established practice called browser fingerprinting. Google likely honored your request to not save search history on your account. But yes they are still tracking every single browser they can identify as unique. And though browser fingerprinting is supposed to be anonymous, it's hard to believe some correlation isn't going on there. Realistically though, these types of "Incognito" settings were never about hiding your activity from Google or your ISP in the first place. It's just about not storing your history on your computer or user account.

    2. Re: pause watch and search history is a SCAM by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The same thing would happen if you didn't have an account.

      Only with cookies enabled.

    3. Re: pause watch and search history is a SCAM by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      and somehow YT keeps recommending me videos relevant to the ones I watched few days ago

      How did you find those videos? The pause watch and search history only applies to to your profile created from within Youtube. If you browse to youtube from some other site the resulting video ends up in your profile anyway.

    4. Re: pause watch and search history is a SCAM by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's possible to not get tracked. I have no Google account, run adblock & Ghostery, restrict Javascript with Noscript and delete cookies when I close the browser. Whenever I open Youtube in a new browser session I get generic stuff I've never searched for: some late night show buffoon, pop music, sports and movie trailers.

    5. Re: pause watch and search history is a SCAM by Spacelord · · Score: 1

      They also track you via cookies when you're not logged in.

      Try this: create a clean browsing profile, don't login to any google services from it, then go to youtube and watch some videos on a particular topic. Next time you go to youtube, you will get recommendations based on your previous activity, even though you don't have an account.

  9. That's great! Now I can hide.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    my history of binge watching Fidgit Spinner At 3 AM videos! Hurray!

  10. Great! Now I can watch some Jordan Peterson in pea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... without some SJWs calling me a rightwing Nazi.

  11. Thumbs Down by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Now they can turn their attention to the thumbs down button being broken.

  12. Youtube Redtube by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I didn't really think Youtube served anything incognito worthy.

    I suppose when your wife is a feminazi SJW liberal and you just want to watch a few Donald Trump memes without her chopping off your cock, you should probably just have not married a hairy lesbian.

    1. Re:Youtube Redtube by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thank you for todays giggle.

  13. Great(?) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Great, but...

    Will this incognito mode require a Google account? It seems that every time Google does something privacy-related, it requires a Google account. Want to see what information they have on you? Create a Google account. Want to request they remove said information? Create an account...

  14. Why not just use the browser incognito mode by thegarbz · · Score: 1

    Serious if I was going to search for "How to be a Kinky Furry" on Youtube, why would I even want that in my local browser history? Just use the browser incognito mode. That will isolate it from your account altogether.

    1. Re:Why not just use the browser incognito mode by squiggleslash · · Score: 1

      I don't think that's the intended use.

      I have a crapload of completely irrelevant videos recommended to me because I occasionally sit down with my daughter and we search for videos on various topics together. There's virtually no set of circumstances where I'd want to watch any of the recommendations related to watching these (generally my recommendations are flooded with a combination of videos about Jaguars - the cat type, not car - and the latest episodes of DC Super Hero Girls.)

      TBH though, I'd find what they're proposing more useful/usable if they made it a "Once this session is over please forget everything" or "Forget the last session" thing, but I guess that's making the UI more complex.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    2. Re:Why not just use the browser incognito mode by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      (generally my recommendations are flooded with a combination of videos about Jaguars - the cat type,

      Your daughter is clearly a much more interesting person than you are. Please relay that some completely random stranger compliments her interest in large spotted carnivores.

    3. Re:Why not just use the browser incognito mode by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      because I occasionally sit down with my daughter and we search for videos on various topics together.

      And how is private browsing not a solution to your use case as well?

    4. Re:Why not just use the browser incognito mode by squiggleslash · · Score: 1

      I guess because you lose everything by going into incognito mode - your autoplay settings aren't honored for example. At this point we have to look at what exactly Google means by Incognito mode.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    5. Re:Why not just use the browser incognito mode by squiggleslash · · Score: 1

      Of course she's more interesting than me, she's the 2.0 version of me and my wife.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
  15. search by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Your search history is still being recorded, and will be handed to you in full detail when you perform a Google Takeout.

  16. Log in by houghi · · Score: 1

    ... to enable incognito.
    You are using that word, but I don't think it means what you think it means.

    I almost never log in and filter as much as I reasonably can and cookies are destroyed when I log close my browser. That way I can get some different content when I do a search. I sometimes do weird searches. I am not worried that they know what I am looking for. It is that I do not want to get the same sort of content I was already looking at. I want the weird stuff.

    Imagine I was always looking at Linux tutorials and suddenly, after 10 years I am interested in the root of the pine and elm tree in British Columbia. So I search for "root pine elm tree bc" and get served shit I can do on my computer because that is what it thinks will give them the most ad points.

    And finding new channels that are worth it is almost impossible. I get pointed to the same few hundred or thousand of channels all the time. This discourages new people on the scene. Not even the ones that do it for money, but just others who start and then think : Hey, nobody is interested in what I am doing. I better stop.

    Google, don't talk to me about Google. I have hated Google since they raped DejaNews, so it is not that they ever cared about what others wanted. They are a marketing company. and as such they are a a bunch of mindless jerks who will be the first against the wall when the revolution comes. (http://houghi.org/Fun/h2g2_sample.mp3 for reference)

    --
    Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
  17. Re:Why is this feature on the APP? Fix the website by GuB-42 · · Score: 1

    Browsers already have an incognito mode. The app didn't.