You use a shared laptop to download a return label, close the private browser window and hand the computer back. The session is over, but the label may still be in Downloads. Closing a window and removing a file are different actions.
Three things to keep separate
Think of the webpage you visited, the PDF you saved and the bookmark you added as three separate objects. Ending the browser session does not mean all three receive the same treatment.
Mozilla documents that Firefox keeps downloaded files and newly created bookmarks after private browsing. Chrome likewise retains downloads and bookmarks; its Incognito session ends when all Incognito windows close. Closing one tab is therefore not a useful final check on its own.
Follow the file, not just the browser list
For the return-label example, note the filename and where you saved it. If you opened an editor and saved a revised copy, include that copy in your review. A clean-looking browser screen tells you little about a document saved elsewhere.
Before handing the laptop back:
- Confirm that the label has been printed or saved where you actually need it.
- Find the local copies you created and remove only those you no longer need, following the computer owner’s rules.
- Check any bookmark you deliberately added, then finish the private session.
Do not clear the whole Downloads folder on a shared computer. Somebody else’s files may be mixed in with yours. Ordinary deletion is also not a guarantee of secure erasure or removal from other copies.
Try it with a harmless file
On your own computer, save a public sample PDF from a private window and add a temporary bookmark. End the session, then look for both in the normal interface and file manager. This small exercise helps you understand the browser you actually use without experimenting with personal documents.