Open in incognito mode

With Open in incognito mode, a scheduled website opens in a private browser window instead of a normal tab. It helps when you want a page kept apart from your everyday browsing, for example a site you like to check without your usual sign-ins.

How opening in incognito mode works

Browsers keep extensions out of private windows unless you let them in. So before this option can work, you turn on Allow in Incognito for Tab Scheduler in your browser's extension settings.

At the scheduled time, Tab Scheduler first checks that it still has this permission. If a private window is already open, the website opens as a new tab in that window. If no private window is open, Tab Scheduler opens a new private window for it.

You can combine this option with Refresh tab if URL is already open. Tab Scheduler then looks through your private windows for the same address and reloads that tab instead of opening a second copy.

The same permission is used by Close only incognito tabs, an option for close schedules. It limits closing to private tabs and leaves your normal tabs alone.

How to open a scheduled website in incognito mode

1. In Google Chrome, click the Extensions icon in the toolbar, which looks like a puzzle piece, and select Manage extensions.
2. Find Tab Scheduler with auto open and close and click Details.
3. Scroll down to Allow in Incognito and click the switch to turn it on.
4. Click the Tab Scheduler icon in the toolbar and choose Settings.
5. Enter the address in Website Link and, if you like, a Title.
6. Choose how often it runs in Select Frequency, then set Schedule Type to Open a website or Open, then close.
7. Fill in the time fields, such as Open Time.
8. Under More options, tick Open in incognito mode. If the permission is missing, a message appears and the box unticks itself.
9. Click Save Schedule.

When to use opening in incognito mode

• Morning news. A news site opens in a private window at 7:30, with Every Day as the frequency.
• Evening practice. An Open, then close schedule opens a quiz site privately at 20:00 and closes it at 21:00. Tick Close only incognito tabs as well, so tabs of the same site in your normal windows stay open.
• Sale day. A One Time schedule opens a shop's sale page in a private window at 10:00 on the day the sale starts.

Good to know about opening in incognito mode

• Allow in Incognito is required. If you turn it off later, the schedule does not open the page. Instead you get a notification asking you to turn the permission back on.
• Open in incognito mode cannot be combined with Open URL In New Window or Open URL in Background. While it is ticked, those two options are unticked and cannot be selected.
• Run now and Open All Scheduled Link also open this schedule in a private window.
• The History page of Tab Scheduler still lists the run. Your history is stored only on this device, and you can clear it at any time.
• The steps above are for Google Chrome. In other browsers, look for the matching permission in the browser's extension settings.
• This option is free on every plan.