If you need to quickly switch to private mode, here’s how to add a Chrome Incognito shortcut to the Windows 11 context menu.

Google Chrome has an Incognito mode that does not save browsing data when activated. Chrome does not save cookies, page history, or details entered into forms when in this mode. Thus, some users prefer to switch to private browsing in Google’s flagship browser.

You can activate Chrome’s Incognito mode with a Ctrl+Shift+N keyboard shortcut. However, Chrome does not include any built-in option to always open in incognito mode. However, you can always configure this browser to always start in incognito mode. Here’s how to set up a context menu shortcut that launches Chrome in incognito mode.

The Windows 11 desktop context menu is a good place to add all kinds of program shortcuts. It’s a shame that Windows doesn’t include any type of customization settings for this menu. So we need to edit the registry to add a Chrome Incognito shortcut to the context menu.

You will need the full folder path of your Google Chrome software (including its EXE file) to apply this registry tweak. If you don’t have a shortcut for this software yet, add one to your Windows 11 desktop. Right-click the Chrome shortcut on your desktop to select Properties. Copy the path in the Target area (including its quotation marks) with the CTRL+C keyboard shortcut. Then edit the registry as follows:

1. Click the magnifying glass icon on the taskbar to open the search box to find files and apps in Windows.

2. Find Registry Editor by typing regedit in the Type here to search box.

3. To select Registry Editor to open this application.

4. Next, navigate to this registry key location: ComputerHKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDirectoryBackgroundshell.

5. Click on shell with the right button of your mouse and select New.

6. Choose the Key option.

   
   

7. Grab Incognito Chrome for the title of the new key.

8. Right click Incognito Chrome to select the New and Key context menu options.

9. Type ordered in the key text box.

10. Select your new ordered key.

11. Right click on the ordered keys (Fault) channel to select To modify.

    
    

12. Enter the full Chrome path you copied into the Value box by pressing the Ctrl+V keyboard shortcut.

13. Add a space then type -Incognito at the end of the road. A default folder path for Google Chrome entered here would look like this: “C:Program FilesGoogleChromeApplicationchrome.exe” – Incognito.

    
    

14. Click on OKAY to save the value and exit the Edit String window.

15. Quit the Registry Editor application.

Try the new one now Incognito Chrome shortcut in your context menu. Right-click an area of ​​the Windows 11 desktop and select Show more choice. You will see a Incognito Chrome option in the classic context menu. Select this shortcut to start Google Chrome in incognito mode.

You can undo this registry tweak by deleting the added keys. To delete them, open the shell key again. Then right-click on Incognito Chrome button to select a To delete option for this.

Optionally, you can add an icon to your Chrome Incognito context menu shortcut. You will need an appropriately sized icon to do this. To save you searching, check out the little 16 x 16 Chrome icons on this IconAchive page. Choose an icon there and click on the ICO button to download it. Then edit the registry like this:

1. Bring up the Registry Editor window as shown in steps 1-3 above.

2. Open the ComputerHKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDirectoryBackgroundshellChrome Incognito key location.

3. Right click on the Incognito Chrome key to select New > String value.

4. Walk in Icon for the title of the new channel.

5. Double click on the Icon string you just added.

6. Enter the full path to your downloaded Chrome icon (including its file name) in the Value box.

   
   

7. Select the OKAY in the Edit Channel window.

Take a look at your Incognito Chrome new context menu shortcut. You will see that this shortcut includes the little icon you downloaded like in the snapshot below.

Addition of a Incognito Chrome shortcut to the context menu will do the Ctrl+Shift+N keyboard shortcut to activate this redundant mode. You’ll never need to press that key combination again when you can start Chrome in incognito mode from the context menu. This context menu option is a handy secondary Chrome shortcut to have next to a desktop to open the browser in standard browsing mode.

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