Fix: Chrome Incognito Missing

When the option to open an Incognito window in Google Chrome disappears, and even the shortcut (Ctrl+Shift+N) no longer works, it usually means that Incognito Mode has been disabled. This is often due to a system policy that modifies a registry key called IncognitoModeAvailability, which controls the visibility of this feature.

The most common cause is a change in the system registry, typically enforced by company policies or triggered by malware. Other possible causes include using an outdated version of Chrome, corrupted browser profiles, or conflicting extensions.

Method 1: Disable Extensions

Disabling or completely uninstalling extensions has worked for quite a few users. This works because some extensions might interfere with the browser. So, start by disabling all the extensions (you don’t have to uninstall all the extensions yet). You can then check whether the problem persists or not. If the Incognito mode comes back, you can enable the extensions one by one to check which extension was causing the issue.

For users who can’t see the scroll bar in Google Chrome, follow the steps given below:

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Type chrome://extensions/ in the address bar and press Enter.

3. This should show you a page with all the extensions on your Google Chrome. Click Remove or toggle off the switch on the bottom right corner of every extension on the page. Toggling off the extensions will disable them. Do this for all the extensions.

Once done, reboot the browser and check if the problem is resolved or not. If the problem is gone and you want to enable the extensions, then repeat the steps given above until step 2. Once you see the extension page, toggle on one of the extensions. Reboot the browser and check if the problem is back or not. Repeat this process for every extension. If enabling an extension brings back the problem, you’ll know which extension was the culprit behind this. You can remove that specific extension and enable all the other extensions.

Method 2: Reset Settings

Resetting the settings of Google Chrome should be your last resort. This has worked for a few users, but keep in mind that this will reset everything and clean the entire history. So, apply this solution only if you are okay with getting rid of your history, saved passwords, and several other things (the things that will be erased and reset will be mentioned in the confirmation dialogue).

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Click the 3 dots on the top right corner.
3. Select Settings.

4. Scroll down and click Advanced.

5. Click Restore settings to their original defaults. This should be under Reset and clean up.

6. Click Reset settings.

Once done, reboot the browser and check the thumbnails. They should be working fine now.

Method 3: Reset the IncognitoModeAvailability key

Adjusting the IncognitoModeAvailability key directly fixes the root cause of the missing Incognito Mode. By resetting this registry key to its default value, you’re effectively re-enabling the feature that has been disabled, likely due to a policy change or malware.

The value for this key controls whether Incognito Mode is available, disabled, or forced. Resetting it to ‘0’ ensures that the option is restored, allowing Chrome to function as expected with Incognito Mode accessible again. This step helps users regain control over their browser settings by correcting a hidden configuration.

1. Hold the Windows key and press R.
2. Type regedit and press Enter.

3. Now navigate to this location in the registry editor: HKEY_Local_Machine\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome. If you aren’t sure how to navigate to this location, then follow the steps given below:
   1. Locate and double-click HKEY_Local_Machine from the left pane.
   2. Locate and double-click SOFTWARE from the left pane.
   3. Locate and double-click Policies from the left pane.
   4. Locate and double-click Google from the left pane. Note: If you don’t see a Google entry, right-click Policies > New > Key and name it Google.

4. Locate and click Chrome from the left pane.
   Note: If you don’t see a Chrome entry, right-click Policies > New > Key and name it Chrome.
5. Double-click IncognitoModeAvailability from the right pane. If you can’t see this entry, then right-click anywhere on an empty space on the right pane and select New > DWORD (32-bit) value. Name it IncognitoModeAvailability and double-click it.

6. Enter 0 as its value and click Ok. 0 means Incognito mode is available, and 1 means it is disabled. If you already had this entry, then its value must have been 1. Simply changing the value to 0 will resolve the issue.

Once done, the incognito mode should be available.