QA/Firefox3.5/TestPlan/BetaPreview/MocoTestday/PrivateBrowsing

Summary

Private data is used by the browser to enhance your experience on the Internet. When the browser remembers a website you previously visited or the username and password for your favorite web site, this information is considered your private data.

However, there may be times when you do not want other users of your computer to see or access such information. For example, perhaps if a friend or family member shares your computer, you would prefer for them not to be able to see what websites you've visited or what files you've downloaded.

Firefox 3.5 and later provide "Private Browsing," which allows you to browse the Internet without Firefox retaining any of data about which sites and pages you have visited.

Items Not Retained in Private Browsing mode

• History
  • Browser
  • Search
  • Download
  • Web Form
• Cookies
• Cache
  • Memory
  • Offline
• Passwords
• Autocomplete/Location Bar
• DOM Storage
• Authenticated Sessions
• Temporary Internet Files
• Console Errors

The following items will be retained in PB mode:

• Downloaded Files
• Bookmarks

Preferences that can be tweaked

• Preferences | Privacy | Use Custom Settings for History | Automatically Start Firefox in a Private Browsing Session

Sample Test Cases

• History
  • Visit a variety of pages in private browsing mode and ensure that they are not visible in the 'History' menu when returning to normal browsing (stop private browsing mode).
  • Log in to your mail account in private browsing mode and ensure that your credentials are not retained when returning to normal browsing (stop private browsing mode) when returning to the same site's login page
  • Visit a variety of pages in private browsing mode and ensure that they are not visible in the 'Awesome Bar'

• Cookies

1. Visit a variety of pages in private browsing mode

Open Bugs

• http://tinyurl.com/m74lpj