Google’s Chrome browser has this neat little feature built-in that lets you browse the web in porn incognito mode, which essentially means it will refrain from storing any information when you visit web pages. According to this help page explaining the feature, you can switch to browsing incognito if you want to “plan surprises like gifts or birthdays” in stealth mode.
Except you won’t be able to do that using Facebook, and not because it falsely claims it’s a phishing site this time. It won’t even let you open and edit files using Google’s own Docs.
Update: Google confirmed the bug and says it’s working on a patch.
If you try to open Google Docs or Facebook with the latest version of Google Chrome (update 1.0.154.46), you’ll see a notice that the browser isn’t supported yet. Facebook will even admit that they’re probably not cool enough to support the browser, pointing to alternative browsers like Firefox, IE, Safari, Opera and Flock instead. This only happens in incognito mode, so this seems to be a mildly amusing oversight on Google’s end.
Granted, adoption for Google Chrome can’t be deemed phenomenal so far (still lacking a Mac compatible version doesn’t help) and the browser is still in beta, but they still might want to take a look at why this isn’t working, considering they’re creating incompatibility issues between two proprietary products and with Facebook still growing remarkably fast around the world and all that.
(The bug has already been reported as an issue, and there’s a support thread)
Hat tip to Izza Aamer.
Hope they check out the support thread and work on it, unlike google feedburner issue which are never looked into
my deep regrets for techcrunch’s anti-porn agenda.
“Facebook will even admit that they’re probably not cool enough to support the browser”
Admit? Looks more like sarcasm. And rather strong, given that ‘chrome’ is the only missing name in their suggestions for browsers.
Ah, but I ain’t complaining. Chrome doesn’t have a mac version yet, so I am for ANY criticism that goes their way
Yeah I was kinda being sarcastic about that line myself
Oh…my bad:D
didnt think chrome was in beta anymore, in fact i distinctly remember reading that it wasnt on this website http://www.tech...me-out-of-beta/ …
You’re right, somehow I thought the new version was considered beta. Thanks, fixed.
google chrome is not hip so far.
At http://www.spirofrog.de we see 50percent firefox! 2percent chrome.
The preview release is 2.0.159.0 which was made public on 26 January 2009. Chrome is a fcking beta, even if officially it’s said to be stable. It’s been in the while for what? Less than 6 months? Google may claim it’s not beta, to avoid the “beta” mess htye had with GMail for years, but why don’t you cut them some slack?
I prefer FF, but I still find Chrome to be MUCH better than IE (and even faster than FF, but that may be just because of all the extensions I have installed).
Get off Google’s back about Chrome, find something better to bash them about (I’m sure there are plenty of other things to bitch about related to Google), do some real journalism. The fact that a 6 months-old browser has some issues is front page news for techcrunch? What the hell is wrong with you people? Get to work and do your jobs right. It’s like the news on TV… billions of people are starving, wars are still “in fashion” and they’re showing us how some nobody guy beat up his brother about something nobody cares.
Get back to work, Tech Crunch!
We’re not bashing, we’re pointing out. I love Google Chrome.
Now take a deep breath.
strikethrus and epithet’s is kinda bashing
I’ll admit, I only clicked because the title is an irritating in-joke.
Good comment. I agree with you.
Chrome is no longer labeled beta because Google wanted to ship it preinstalled on computers and OEMs won’t include beta software on their machines.
T,
There’s a reason as to why we’re micro-analyzing chrome – because we use and like it. So when glitches like these just put you off a good product you want these guys to know that
I’m wondering if this is by design. If the incognito mode is truly that, it should be blocking cookies, which would block you from logging into most sites.
Chrome’s Incognito Mode has historically allowed cookies and things, and cleared them after closing the window. It covers your tracks, but it’s not really incognito while you’re browsing. Perhaps they intend to strengthen this going forward?
Was thinking the same thing when reading the article
I’m almost certain that is why. But perhaps Chrome could throw up a little yellow warning bar up top to say “the reason you can’t use this site is because it requires cookies” or a less technical version of that…
When you go and browse incognito with Chrome, the browser doesnt store any cookies or any other information from the sites. This is probably the problem with Facebook and Google docs because i think you need to have cookies enabled. Theres a similar add-on for FF which does the same thing but i uninstalled it eventually. If i want to browse incognito, i just use another browser (currently i use Flock mainly and FF and Chrome for incognitos) and then clear the private data when im done.
Easy as pie and no problems
LOL, I tried Google Chrome the day it came out and was not that impressed with it.
RT
http://www.inte...t-privacy.us.tc
Chrome *does* store cookies in Incognito mode, but deletes them when the browser window closes. That was my first thought too, but then I read this here (”all new cookies are deleted after you close the incognito window”, http://www.goog...95464&hl=en).
The real problem is that it is not reporting a user agent string to the web servers, so sites do not even know what kind of browser it is at all. Go here in any browser and then again in Chrome Incognito: http://whatsmyuseragent.com/
I think Chrome is likely to become the best browser available once the kinks are worked out. We’re talking about a product that has been public for less than a year, and it already has features far better than IE or Firefox. Granted, I won’t/can’t endorse it fully until they release a version for Linux. Considering Linux compatibility is usually a distant third priority after Windows and Mac, I’ve still got some time before I can switch to fulltime Chrome browsing.
So, when will Linux be coming out of beta? Soon I hope.
@ T Will the real slim shady please stand up! You sound like a sad google fanboy. First of all the reason google took it out of beta is because they wanted to get on OEM good side so they can bundle Chrome with pc. I think chrome is a great product and I love how speedy it is, but the browser is lacking here. As much a fanboy you might want to be I think its great that Tech Crunch pointed this out. It wasn’t to long ago that people were bashing MS for issues chrome was having with hotmail. I think its fair to say that chrome has a long way to go, aside from the speed and the features like seprating tabs into another window I think chrome is not ready for prime time. For a first attempt they have done a great job but let’s not get carry away and defend the almighty google…
It’s kind of scary to know that Google will probably get the best user insights with Chrome that any advertiser would love – even better than cookies expiring in 2038 !!
I’d like to BLOCK ads, not make it easier for them to serve me .. right? Incognito can’t fool everyone!
The issue is not with chrome.
I have the same problem with facebook on my safari browser when I turn on private browsing.
Facebook works in IE private mode.
http://online.w...=fox_australian
This may interest some of you. Dell is building Android phones now.
2009 is going to be the Android bandwagon big time. I’m glad my application is almost done. You all are going to be way behind.
Well, incognito mode… except for Google sites. You know, to improve the user experience.
Love Chrome though.
Incognito mode and Facebook…
If it worked it would be a bit like walking in a crowd with a bag over your head. It does seem a bit trivial for a TC cover story.
When we get “reports” that Hotmail doesn’t work in Chrome, the Microsoft bashing gleefully piles on (TC headline “How many engineers does it take to make Hotmail work in Google Chrome?”).
But when Facebook and Google Docs fail to work in Chrome, now suddenly it’s Chrome’s fault (”It won’t let you open and edit…”, “…oversight on Google’s end”, etc.)? Where’s the headline “How many engineers does it take to make Google Docs work in Google Chrome Incognito?”.
If a month from now, FB still doesn’t work in Chrome’s incognito, does anyone think TC will jump all over FB’s engineers for their “slow response”? Yeah, right.
The issues are the same: browser detection against an approved list. The reason Chrome gets blocked is likely the same: insufficient resources at company X to fully validate that everything works right in every browser in the world. Engineers have to have priorities.
Sorry, it just annoys me when I see double standards in journalism.
I heard that TechCrunch is changing their name. Their two top choices are TechCrush and FanboyCrunch.
I’m so boring that I could care less about the incognito search/view. But, I can comment why I went back to Firefox. I must have to fill out a form 25 times a day and there was no form fill or work around that made sense. I would love to use Chrome, speed and the ’sandbox’ feature that will let an active page crash without bringing down the program or the machine.
I don’t really like chrome. The websites seem to narrow and squished together. Just what I think.
I like very much Chrome…
http://notebooksplanet.com/en
That’s allright. How much good porn does Facebook have anyway?
When Google Chrome 3.0…yes.. 3.0 comes out at around December 09 (maybe earlier..maybe later), it would be the best browser in the world and its market share will cross 10% by the end of 2010. I am positive of that.
I like Chrome better than FF or IE or Folk.
I still don’t understand why you need to browse Facebook with Incognito
Even without the Incognito feature, I still love Google Chrome for its speed
Chromes alright but I havent found a way to boomark all tabs is there a way ?
funny message by FB!!! they are sooo green!
Maybe Google should stick to its search engine expertise. I still prefer IE and Firefox.
I just accessed facebook & google docs in incognito mode using version 1.0.154.43, so don’t upgrade.
Maybe it’s the tin hat fan in me but i prefer to navigate in incognito – i noticed that google maps wouldn’t pull up last night in my incognito browser, but worked fine when I tried it in a normal Firefox window.
Google maps data blocked when it can’t track you?
This issue is known and we have a patch in review, which we’ll include in our next release. See the bug linked in the article.
Thanks for the interest in Google Chrome
“still lacking a Mac compatible version doesn’t help”
er…. yeah, because that’s going to VASTLY increase penetration of Chrome….
New stable version is out (1.0.154.48) and things are back to normal.
You wrong! version of 2.0.166.1 it’s fully worked!