Privacy
Browse without leaving a trace on disk
- Private space
- ⇧⌘N, kept in memory only
- Burner tab
- ⌥⇧⌘N, its own store, burned on close
- Burner Shield level
- Strict
- Profiles
- Separate cookies, logins, site data, history and bookmarks
- Engine
- WebKit only; private browsing never uses Chromium
What is the difference between a private space and a burner tab?
A private space is a whole space for private browsing: as many tabs as you like, kept in memory and never written to disk, marked in amber in the sidebar. A burner tab is one tab in a space of its own, with a fresh in-memory data store at Strict. Closing it, switching to another space or closing the window burns it, and the window returns to the space it came from.
What does a burner tab keep?
Nothing that outlives it. It records no history, site icons or downloads list entries, is never saved or restored, and everything it held is dropped when it closes.
- Pop-ups are refused.
- It cannot be pinned.
- A flame marks its tab row, its space icon and the toolbar's space chip.
How do profiles keep my browsing apart?
Each profile has its own cookies, logins, site data, history and bookmarks, so a work profile and a personal profile never see each other's sessions. Create one with New Space (⇧⌘S) and New Profile, then give each space its own name, colour and icon.
What stays private by design?
A private space cannot save a session snapshot, and space rules never send tabs to it or from it. Elements hidden with Zap Element are not kept, and browser data import refuses the private profile.
What it does not do
- Files you download in a private space are ordinary files and stay where they were saved.
- Private browsing hides your activity on your Mac, not from the sites you visit or your network.
- Deep fingerprinting protection is not possible on WebKit, so sites may still recognise a device across sessions.
Questions
Is Tarn's private space the same as incognito mode?
It serves the same purpose: browsing that leaves no history behind. Tarn's private space keeps cookies, history and site data in memory only and writes none of it to disk; only files you download stay.
When should I use a burner tab instead of a private space?
Use a burner tab for a single throwaway visit, such as opening a link you do not trust. It runs at Strict with its own data store and is burned as soon as you close it or switch away.
Can I keep work and personal accounts apart in Tarn?
Yes. Profiles keep cookies, logins, site data, history and bookmarks fully separate, and each space belongs to one profile.
Does the private space use Chromium?
No. Private and burner browsing always use WebKit, and Chromium's data is kept for one regular profile only.
Will private browsing work the same on Android?
Android is in development. Its system WebView has no in-memory store, so private browsing there runs in a separate process whose data folder is deleted when the private space closes.
Last reviewed
Try Tarn on your Mac
No account to make and nothing sent home. macOS 14 or later; other platforms are in development.