Microsoft Edge's InPrivate mode no longer records your browsing history

When you use a browser's incognito mode you expect it to keep that browsing session private. That is its purpose, after all, to let you access websites without saving any data or information that might be used to trace your visits from the browser. Thing is, at least in Microsoft Edge's case, its InPrivate mode has not exactly worked as advertised -- in fact, it did not work at all.

Microsoft Edge's InPrivate mode is a "privacy nightmare", as my colleague Mark Wilson puts it. Instead of completely ignoring your session, Microsoft Edge actually records your browsing history, making it possible for others to find out exactly which websites you have accessed. However, the software giant now claims to have addressed this privacy issue in the form of a new Windows 10 update.

As explained by researcher Ashish Singh, Microsoft Edge stores website visits, when used in IncognitoMode, in the WebCache file. The file is easy to find, being stored in a location that can be easily accessed, though retrieving that information might prove a bit more difficult to the average user.

Microsoft was quickly informed of this issue, and has revealed that the problem is now resolved in the KB3135173 patch that it released for Windows 10 yesterday, February 9. The fix is listed as "Fixed issue with Microsoft Edge browser caching visited URLs while using InPrivate browsing". Obviously, Microsoft Edge should now only cache the user's history when they are not in InPrivate mode.

Microsoft wants to reveal more information surrounding Windows 10 updates, which explains why the software giant has specifically listed the fix for the Microsoft Edge InPrivate mode on its site. Windows 10 users can expect to get more information about updates as Microsoft adds more information to the operating system's update history page. Mark has already covered everything that is listed so far in this article.

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