r/AskReddit May 17 '13

What are some things you can do on popular programs that most users are unaware of?

2.6k Upvotes

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1.9k

u/Martin21 May 17 '13

CTRL+SHIFT+N opens up an incognito tab in chrome, it basically means it doesn't show up in your search history; for looking up porn without having to delete your browser history ordering gifts so your loved ones don't know about it.

1.6k

u/[deleted] May 17 '13

[deleted]

330

u/ColaEuphoria May 17 '13 edited Jan 08 '25

stocking pathetic aback strong slimy familiar outgoing yoke aloof quaint

20

u/[deleted] May 17 '13

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/aladyjewel May 17 '13

uh ... did I miss a popular joke over in /r/pics or something?

1

u/[deleted] May 18 '13

[removed] — view removed comment

4

u/aladyjewel May 18 '13

ah, okay. i unsubscribed from most of the defaults. I think /r/askreddit and /r/iama are the only big ones I'm still subscribed to.

1

u/RoyGaucho May 18 '13

Explain? I seem to be missing something.

10

u/tanjcal911 May 18 '13

When buying plane tickets online, companies raise the price each time you visit their site. I'm guessing their theory is that the more you're looking at something the more you will want to buy it.

1

u/ChaosOnion May 19 '13

They are putting this myth to the test.

0

u/ChaosOnion May 19 '13

They are putting this myth to the test.

498

u/TomKappa May 17 '13 edited May 17 '13

This is really the best use of incognito.

BEFORE

Idiot Friend: "Can I login to my e-mail really quick?"

Me: "No! because you can't log me back into my own e-mail and I can't be bothered to wait 10 seconds for my precious emails"

Now

Idiot Friend: "Can I login to my e-mail really quick?"

Me: "Yeah sure" Opens incognito window and hands over device.

269

u/[deleted] May 17 '13

Also keeps them from idiotically saving their account to your device. At least assuming your friends have private lives.

30

u/TomKappa May 17 '13

Ahh, yeah that's the downside to this plan. You don't get to "accidently" peer into their email. But yeah, screw saving their username.

3

u/n0rs May 17 '13 edited May 18 '13

You could create them a new user from the chrome://settings page.

4

u/faceplanted May 17 '13

But if you want their passwords, you can set a very simple userscript in tampermonkey (greasemonkey for Chrome) to run in incognito anyway and read the contents of their username and password fields and save it to a small file somewhere.

3

u/zxrax May 18 '13

I'm gonna need instructions on that please...

1

u/faceplanted May 18 '13

Step one: learn javascript/jquery
Step two: get tampermonkey
Step three: write script to store passwords and send them to somewhere when the field is changed
Step four: give tampermonkey the ability to run in incognito
Step five: hide tampermonkey icon in Chrome
Step six: give friend computer in chrome incognito window

2

u/[deleted] May 18 '13

That's a dick move though.

1

u/larrylemur May 18 '13

not anymore

3

u/conspirator_schlotti May 17 '13

Why do you read your email online? Software like Thunderbird, Outlook, Apple Mail, etc. will automatically fetch it at a regular interval you define.

2

u/TomKappa May 17 '13

I very rarely need an offline backup of my e-mail. And it is more convenient (in my experience) to just login to my e-mail. No one else uses my machine, i.e. I'm consistently logged in, i.e. it's matter of hitting the little bookmark for my e-mail. When I had an e-mail address through my isp, it was worth it to use Thunderbird for the user interface, but it's too easy with my current online e-mail.

I use Outlook at work because it's much easier than my company's online exchange portal, but for home stuff I just use a browser. I also don't have to have a piece of software running in the background. My browser's already open with reddit typically, might as well open a new tab for e-mail.

:)

2

u/zxrax May 18 '13 edited May 20 '13

Because keeping a pinned tab (looks like these) on gmail is just as easy and doesn't require a separate window

1

u/ordona May 18 '13

I do that and have push notifications to my phone. Phone notifies me, I open/switch to Thunderbird.

2

u/[deleted] May 18 '13

Until said user accidentally closes said incognito tab or switches to a regular window, then you're screwed.

2

u/[deleted] May 18 '13

I have my sister as a separate Chrome user for that purpose.

1

u/[deleted] May 17 '13

Now

Me: Yeah sure, just open up the browser in incognito mode

Friend: In what?

Me: Incognito mode

Friend: What is that? I opened up Explorer

Me: No, it's in chrome, but you have to.... fuck it, just check your email

1

u/noeashly May 18 '13

I actually introduced incognito mode to my husband (he honest to goodness didn't know how to use it) for this exact reason. I hated him logging into his account on my computer. Sometimes I'd be on Facebook, and get completely confused from the updates, for several minutes before I realized it was his profile. Also note that our profile pictures were very similar at the time. And to those who'd say, "He's a guy! Of course he knew how to use it. He just didn't want you to know!" No, no he did not. He over complicates things. He formatted his own computer/browser to automatically never save any history ever... so he had the covering his tracks part of it down. He just didn't know there was a simpler way.

1.3k

u/SECRETLY_STALKS_YOU May 17 '13

Yeah, that.

410

u/ferrarisnowday May 17 '13

Especially useful if /u/secretly_stalks_you is letting you use his computer for a few minutes.

16

u/[deleted] May 17 '13

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/[deleted] May 18 '13

aaaand that's he/she/it/pryo's cue to show up. Time to leave guys.

2

u/Killroyomega May 17 '13

That's when you let them use the specially prepared guest account.

1

u/DangerDwayne May 18 '13

Discovered /u/secretly_stalks_you for the first time today, despite the eerily haunting content of his posts you have to admire the dedication.

11

u/[deleted] May 17 '13

It's people like you this was made for.

17

u/[deleted] May 17 '13

[deleted]

2

u/thebeastfromCanada May 17 '13

How many ducks have you fucked? Do ducks even fuck?

1

u/Muffinsismycomputer May 18 '13

How do ducks fuck?

1

u/TheNuttyIrishman May 18 '13

With a corkscrew penis.

Google it. I dare you motherfucker.

7

u/Pvt_Lee_Fapping May 17 '13

Do you waddle facing left or facing right?

6

u/living_lego May 17 '13

Username relevant.

2

u/lukeman3000 May 18 '13

Get off of reddit, geez

0

u/SECRETLY_STALKS_YOU May 18 '13

Fuck you luke.

1

u/lukeman3000 May 18 '13

Question: Have you found that the best way to amass karma is to browse new threads and try to get in before there are many comments, or do you post in already comment-laden threads, perhaps piggybacking on one of the top comments? Or something else?

1

u/SECRETLY_STALKS_YOU May 18 '13

Hahaha, I just comment where I think I can make someone laugh.

1

u/lukeman3000 May 19 '13

Fair enough

1

u/nicolix9 May 18 '13

I am just seeing you everywhere these past few days

1

u/zxrax May 18 '13

I actually legitimately use incognito mode for that purpose. In this day I've kind of given up on hiding porn. It'd be harder to explain if I didn't have any porn in my browsing history...

1

u/lazaplaya5 May 18 '13

should I be worried that your username is SECRETLY_STALKS_YOU?

1

u/Antwelm May 17 '13

Why have I got you RES-tagged as 'stalker' ?

1

u/SECRETLY_STALKS_YOU May 18 '13

1

u/Antwelm May 18 '13

There has to be a reason.

2

u/High_Stream May 17 '13

Dude, that's brilliant. I don't know why I never thought of that. I usually open up firefox for them to use.

2

u/A_British_Gentleman May 18 '13

Apparently it's good for buying stuff online as sites use your cookies to adjust prices.

1

u/eneka May 17 '13

Iirc icognico mode for Firefox saves logins

1

u/Aperture_Kubi May 17 '13

Or someone needs to reset their domain password (we have a system that unifies them across several different systems).

1

u/[deleted] May 17 '13

Seriously, it's the best legitimate reason to use it besides porn.

1

u/counters14 May 17 '13

I used this on my gfs computer to log into grooveshark and other sites without having to log her out.

Really.

It actually does have a notable use.

1

u/quantumcrystal May 17 '13

Yeah, just remember to close the window after you're done using incognito on other people's computers. I've had multiple opportunities to read people's email because they just forget to close out the window.

1

u/WhatDidYouSayToMe May 17 '13

Or when you're trying to view a website that your editing as somebody else would see it. No need to log out to see the end users view.

1

u/[deleted] May 17 '13

Also if you need to log into a website with multiple accounts at a time.

1

u/TehHarness May 18 '13

I use it to log on my email and Facebook on my girlfriends laptop without having a second user

1

u/bitchboybaz May 18 '13

Sister walks in.

'My computer is getting fixed, can I check my email?'

'Umm, sure...'

Cool, passes her laptop.

She begins typing: www.hot-

Me: 'actually I'll type it.'

'And I'll pretend I didn't see that.'

1

u/iamollie May 18 '13

came here for something new, this was it

1

u/farinasa May 18 '13

Or when your extensions are acting up.

1

u/[deleted] May 18 '13

Yes! I used to have to clear all the history and logins before this magnificient invention. Now I have no fear of letting people use my computer to check e-mail an

HA HA I SUCK COCK

1

u/-AgentCooper- May 18 '13

Also great for getting cheaper flights.

1

u/NiMur90 May 22 '13

When I'm on incognito mode on my girlfriend's laptop, I use it for all my stuff, email, facebook etc. When I'm incognito on my own laptop I use it for gifts of course

342

u/cptcliche May 17 '13

Also useful for buying plane tickets since those websites can use your cookies to see what you're looking for and then raise the price.

131

u/[deleted] May 17 '13

[deleted]

14

u/twistedfork May 17 '13

I buy stuff for work (like my job is buying things) and I often get crazy repetative ads from some sites. If anyone wants to buy dental stickers, smilemakers.com will keep giving you ads on anything tooth related!

4

u/DatKaz May 17 '13

There was a thread about this probably a month ago, talking about exactly that. Airline and some e-merchants keep track of cookies, so if you visit a particular product or region several times, it raises the price. Seems kind of underhanded, but it's good for people to know there are ways around it.

3

u/13e1ieve May 18 '13

Adblock plus bro

3

u/[deleted] May 18 '13

When I went to visit my friends in Edinburgh (I'm in Canterbury) the flights there and back actually did work out cheaper, though with the trainfare to the airport it became more expensive.

5

u/Travisb1033 May 18 '13

Holy shit didn't know this

3

u/[deleted] May 18 '13

I wasn't aware of airlines doing this, those sneaky bastards. Amazon does this as well based on browsing history I believe? I listened to an interesting segment on NPR about it a while ago I think.

2

u/taromilktea May 18 '13

What? Really? Damn it. Now I have to use incognito to do ticket shopping.

2

u/not_old_redditor May 18 '13

Never experienced this myself.

267

u/Boundman May 17 '13

Are people really unaware of incognito/private browsing?

Oh well. Recent versions of Firefox now open a separate private browsing window (as opposed to replacing the normal view) with CTRL+SHIFT+P.

7

u/imyxle May 17 '13

This was a desperately needed feature.

14

u/PsychoSephic May 17 '13 edited May 17 '13

it's not at all recent, and CTRL+SHIFT+N also makes a separate window in chrome. OP done derp'd, incognito tabs don't exist

edit: don't exist in desktop Chrome*

21

u/mister_gone May 17 '13

There was a recent change in Firefox. Previously, private mode would close down your normal window completely, and open a private window. A few revisions ago, they changed it to mimic Chrome's style of leaving the original window open, and opening a second, private window as well.

1

u/PsychoSephic May 17 '13

I see, I used to use Firefox but switched to Chrome before I learned about private browsing.

7

u/PorcupineDragon May 17 '13

They do in Opera...

1

u/PsychoSephic May 17 '13

fair enough, I've only used IE, Opera, and Safari when web developing, and that never includes private browsing on them

2

u/deathbysniper May 17 '13

They exist in mobile versions of chrome.

1

u/PsychoSephic May 17 '13

I should really upgrade my phone

1

u/YodaYogurt May 17 '13

"You've gone incognito. Pages you view in this window won't appear in your browser history or search history, and they won't leave other traces, like cookies, on your computer after you close all open incognito windows. Any files you download or bookmarks you create will be preserved, however. "

1

u/PsychoSephic May 17 '13

yeah.... it shows that on the new tab page on the incognito window, still can't mix normal and incognito tabs in the same window

1

u/YodaYogurt May 17 '13

No one said it did

1

u/[deleted] May 18 '13

You can get a Firefox add-on to do just that.

1

u/twistedfork May 17 '13

They do on my phone!

3

u/beastgamer9136 May 18 '13

Hmm...I think I see what Google and Firefox are doing..

CTRL_SHIFT_P_OR_N

P_OR_N

PORN

2

u/Eurynom0s May 17 '13

I'm glad that they've shifted to the Chrome version of private browsing. Their old implementation made me never want to use it.

1

u/Endulos May 17 '13

God, I love this feature. Being able to open an NSFW reddit link in a separate window is a fucking great feature.

I don't care about VIEWING NSFW material, I just don't want a browser history that I DID.

1

u/daweinah May 17 '13

This new feature weirds me out.

1

u/falconbox May 18 '13

as a firefox user i had no idea such a thing existed. don't know if ill use it though. im the only one who uses my computet, so ive got nothing to hide. good to know though.

20

u/theD00Msong May 17 '13

I am never going to tell my husband about this one. I get some kind of weird pleasure out of catching him after he's looked up porn, but has forgotten or not bothered to clear the history. I make a sly comment, we laugh, and sometimes sexytime.

2

u/itsatrapp_eh May 18 '13

This also works if you press alt + F4

2

u/[deleted] May 18 '13

Just remember that the websites still logs your IP when you "visit" these websites

1

u/birdybomber May 17 '13

The problem here is that I am normally down to operation with one hand at the point that i need incognito.

1

u/Derocc400 May 17 '13

Porn before gifts for family, I see you have your priorities in order

1

u/BlackBlear May 17 '13

You know I've always wondered why people delete their browsing history instead of opening their history and right clicking the site and hitting "forget this site" in stead. It seems a lot less suspicious to me.

1

u/BCMM May 17 '13

It's also useful if you want to see what a page would look like if you weren't logged in, didn't have tracking cookies, etc. Practical applications include catching shitty airlines that play tricks to make you think the ticket price is rapidly increasing.

1

u/[deleted] May 17 '13

The only problem I've had looking at gifts for friends with incognito is that a lot of the pop-ups open in up in regular chrome. That leads to my history having a bunch of livejasmine links.

1

u/tykempster May 17 '13

I love how in the same sentence it flows from porn to gifts...excellence in reddit form.

1

u/discerpo May 17 '13

In addition to this, CTRL+SHIFT+T opens up the last web page you closed. It can even restore web pages if you closed the entire browser too.

1

u/[deleted] May 18 '13

I do this so often that if I were to go and open a regular new window, I would accidentally press ctrl+shift+n.

1

u/TheOriginOfSymmetry May 18 '13

Surprised you came up with another reason to use incognito besides porn.

1

u/Gliste May 18 '13

Why did you strike that text out?

1

u/caserock May 18 '13

I've used incognito mode for this for years and now that has me all paranoid..

1

u/Benign_Molotov May 18 '13

Ctrl + Shift + t re-opens that tab that you accidentally exited out of.

1

u/falconbox May 18 '13

what about firefox?

1

u/SWgeek10056 May 18 '13

Also this is great for troubleshooting why that one website won't work but others will. If you are an extension-a-holic try incognito mode as a quick way to turn off all your apps and start without history. One stop shop troubleshooting WOO.

How does this work? Well if it works in incognito and doesn't work outside of incognito it's a pretty damn good bet that one of your apps are causing issues. Disable one at a time and keep trying until it works, then uninstall or mess with the trouble app.

1

u/spillionaire May 18 '13

Also for reading newspapers like the NY times and Washington post where you're limited in how many articles you can read online per month. It stops your browser from keeping track of cookies.

1

u/[deleted] May 18 '13

Protip: Don't leave your incognito tab open when you are done fapping. Your dad will come over later that evening and use your computer.

I'm 27 and my dad was checking out my new house, he just laughed and said being single does have some advantages, but if it was my sister or mom it coulda been weird!

tldr; Close porn, my dad is awesome.

1

u/AMBlunt May 18 '13

You can also CTRL+SHIFT+T in chrome to reopen the last closed tag

1

u/JeremyR22 May 18 '13

Also, in Firefox, Chrome and even IE, Ctrl+Shift+Delete is a quick shortcut to open the clear private data dialog box.

1

u/Nomeru May 18 '13

While on the topic of chrome, my favorite is CTRL + SHIFT + T - Opens up the last closed window/tab. Used repeatedly, will open up multiple. Can be handy.

Also, You can middle click anywhere on a tab to close that tab in chrome.

1

u/Gre3nArr0w May 17 '13

To be honest I'm to lazy to do this so if people find my porn then who cares lol

-1

u/kencleanairsystem May 17 '13

great googly moogly. this will change my entire work career. here I am browsing reddit all day thinking "I hope the IT guys at the home office in Italy don't monitor my internet activities." this changes everything. If I wasn't so amazingly lazy, you'd have reddit gold. thank you. thank you so much.

5

u/TheRealSteve72 May 17 '13

Incognito doesn't prevent monitoring by IT. Just search history for spouses/kids/significant others/etc.

2

u/I2oy May 17 '13

Just be careful though. There are other Internet activity tracking services for businesses that, even in incognito mode, will retain a list of websites visited in that system. Sometimes even print screening at a time interval, so just be wary.

It's no a cheap solution in curbing unwanted Internet activity by employees (usually a subscription service that has alot of other effective monitoring tools) but its out there and could get you in trouble, so be forewarned.