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Create a Desktop Shortcut to Open Microsoft Edge in InPrivate Mode

Append a space and “inprivate” to the Target field of an Edge desktop shortcut to launch an InPrivate window. See the keyboard alternative and privacy limits.
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To make a one-click InPrivate shortcut, create or use an Edge desktop shortcut, open its Properties, and append a space followed by inprivate to the end of the Target field. Microsoft’s Make Microsoft Edge Open in InPrivate guide gives this procedure. Save the change with OK; opening that shortcut launches Edge in an InPrivate window.

Create the InPrivate desktop shortcut

  1. Make sure you have an Edge shortcut on the desktop. If you do not, pin Edge to Start or the taskbar, or create a desktop shortcut.

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  2. Right-click the shortcut and select Properties. Depending on your Windows context menu, you may first need to choose Show more options. Microsoft also notes that you can use F10 to access the shortcut’s properties.

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  3. In the Properties window, open the Shortcut tab and click at the end of the text in the Target box.

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  4. Type one space, then inprivate. Microsoft’s guide describes the added text this way, without a leading dash.

  5. Select OK to save. Double-click this shortcut to open Edge in InPrivate mode.

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If Windows does not save the change, reopen Properties and check that the text was added at the very end of Target, after a space, rather than replacing the existing target. Keep the original target text intact.

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Open an InPrivate window without changing a shortcut

For an occasional private window, open Edge and press Ctrl+Shift+N. Microsoft lists this keyboard shortcut for opening a new InPrivate window on Windows in its Edge keyboard shortcuts guide.

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What InPrivate does—and does not—hide

Microsoft says Edge removes the following data from the device after all InPrivate windows are closed:

  • Browsing history and download history
  • Cookies and other site data
  • Cached images and files
  • Passwords and autofill form data
  • Site permissions and hosted app data

Files you download and favorites you save remain on the device. InPrivate can also use favorites, passwords, and form-fill data from the profile that opened the window. Extensions you have allowed to run in InPrivate may run there, and extensions may save browsing history.

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InPrivate is intended to keep browsing activity from other people who use the same device; it does not make browsing anonymous. Microsoft Support cautions: “Other people using this device won’t see your browsing activity, but your school, workplace, and internet service provider might still be able to access this data.” Cookies and site permissions remain available until all InPrivate windows close, so sites may personalize content during the session. InPrivate also does not provide extra ad blocking or protect you from malicious websites.

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There are restrictions: family activity reporting or web filtering can prevent children from browsing InPrivate, and an organization can block the feature with policy. Microsoft’s Browse InPrivate in Microsoft Edge page describes these behaviors for Edge on Windows 11.

Why the shortcut instruction uses “inprivate”

Microsoft’s desktop-shortcut guide says to append inprivate as rendered in its Target-field instructions. Do not confuse that with command-line syntax in older community answers: a Microsoft Q&A response from February 2020 gives start msedge –inprivate, and another community answer reports a shortcut target using -inprivate. Those are community examples, not confirmation of current official command-line documentation for this shortcut. Follow the current Microsoft desktop-shortcut instructions above rather than substituting a switch spelling from an older forum answer.

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