Does Covenant Eyes monitor Incognito Mode/Private Browsing?

Web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, etc.) offer browsing without saving browsing history. This feature has different names depending on which browser you use.

  • Chrome = Incognito Mode
  • Firefox = Private Browsing
  • Safari = Private Browsing
  • Internet Explorer = InPrivate Browsing

When selected, these options instruct the browser to stop collecting browsing history. This means the browser will not record history while the member has enabled Private Browsing. (We will call it Private Browsing for the rest of this article.)

Does Screen Accountability™ work with Private Browsing on computers?

Screen Accountability is not turned off when Private Browsing is enabled. Because Screen Accountability does not rely on browsing history, it is still able to take screenshots when Private Browsing is activated.

How does Screen Accountability work with Private Browsing on iPhones®?

The short answer is that Private Browsing on an iPhone® will have no effect on Screen Accountability. Remember, we are only able take screenshots within our app. But, because of our patented VPN-like technology, we are able to capture all top-level domains on an iOS device. For the fullest accountability experience, disable Safari with Screen Time and use the Covenant Eyes browser.

How does Screen Accountability work with Private Browsing on Android™?

We can’t capture screenshots within browsers while Private Browsing, or Incognito Mode, is being used on an Android™ device. However, we detect when that is being used and we report it to the ally as “Unmonitored Screen Activity.” Blocking should still work according to your Covenant Eyes Filter settings.