Quick access Private Browsing mode in Safari to access paywall sites

20 July 2014, 10:10

I’m using Safari… again. Don’t ask. it’s a troubled history. A few features are missing from my days using Opera and also Google Chrome, and one in particular is the ability to quickly activate Private Browsing mode. I do this solely when I’m blocked by a paywall at a news site that relies on cookies to count how many “free” visits I’ve made. Private Browsing makes it appear that I’m a new user, so I get to see the page.

Here’s a trick that’ll let you activate Private Browsing in seconds and see the page.

There’s no keyboard shortcut for Private Browsing but it’s really easy to add one.

  1. Open System Preferences and then click the Keyboard icon.
  2. Click the Shortcuts tab, and then select App Shortcuts in the list on the left.
  3. Click the Plus button and then type Private Browsing into the Menu Title field. Place the cursor in the Keyboard Shortcut field beneath and then type Cmd+Shift+P.
  4. Click Add.

If you get blocked by a paywall, just tap Cmd+Shift+P and then Cmd+R to refresh the page.

Know better?

 
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