iOS 17 Locks Your Safari Private Browsing Behind Face ID - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

iOS 17 Locks Your Safari Private Browsing Behind Face ID

Apple is enhancing the security of Safari in iOS 17, and private browsing now requires Face ID authentication or a passcode to access. If you open up a private browsing window in Safari, you will need to authenticate with ‌Face ID‌.

safari private browsing ios 17
That means someone who has access to your unlocked phone and opens your Safari browser won't be able to get to your private browsing history without secondary authentication. ‌Face ID‌ or a passcode can be used to access the Safari private tabs.

Private browsing also completely blocks known trackers from loading on pages and removes tracking added to URLs as you browse, improving privacy. Websites are prevented from tracking or identifying your device with these new additions, plus Apple also offers improved extension control.

In private mode, extensions with website access are turned off, and you will need to manually re-enable them. iCloud Private Relay also uses IP address locations based on country and time zone rather than a general location.

Safari in iOS 17 is also gaining a Profiles feature so you can keep your personal browsing and work browsing separate, with different histories, Tab Groups, cookies, and favorites.

Tag: Safari
Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17

Popular Stories

Apple Event Logo

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Wednesday July 29, 2026 11:39 am PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system that is essentially a mix of tvOS, watchOS, and iOS, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a report this week, he said the operating system will feature a grid of icons, widgets, and apps, along with customizable clock faces. The new software platform is intended for Apple's long-rumored smart home hub. With built-in facial recognition,...
imac video apple feature

Apple Made Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever This Year

Wednesday July 29, 2026 12:03 pm PDT by
Apple this year acquired Israeli startup Q.ai for close to $2 billion, according to the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone maker Beats in 2014. This is also the largest known Apple acquisition since the company purchased Intel's smartphone modem business and patents for $1 billion in 2019. Q.ai...
Dynamic Island iPhone 18 Pro Feature

iPhone 18 Pro: Twelve Changes Coming to Apple's Next Flagship

Thursday July 30, 2026 3:43 am PDT by
We're less than two months out from the launch of Apple's premium next-generation smartphone lineup, and while we're not expecting a dramatic change in terms of functionality, there are still several enhancements rumored to be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth noting is that Apple is reportedly planning a major change to its iPhone release cycle this year,...

Top Rated Comments

antiprotest Avatar
41 months ago
Need a section in setting with the option to toggle on FaceID for each app.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fel10 Avatar
41 months ago
Porn watchers unite
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
41 months ago
What about photo albums? That’s why I never let anyone use my phone 😖
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
41 months ago
Huh? Why is there history on private browsing?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
41 months ago
I use private browsing 100% of the time. I personally don’t need history, so the only thing history does for me is increase my risk factor. Remember a few years ago there was a bug in Safari that allowed any website to view your full browsing history. No thanks.

If this can’t be toggled, my life is going to become extremely painful. I really, really, really don’t want to have to authenticate every time Safari opens.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
41 months ago
This looks promising. Another feature for ‘private’ browsers would be for you to be able to set certain profiles to only use certain wifi networks. No accidental ‘private’ traffic on the work network because the wrong tabs were left open…
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

🔗 Related Apple News & Rumors

Stay updated with the latest Apple ecosystem news and verified rumors