Forum Discussion
MicrosoftInPrivate theming
Thank you to everyone's comments and feedback! I think we found some great ideas here that we'll be doing some design iterations and further testing on. Stay tuned, and if you have any other feedback about InPrivate or Edge, you can send us your thoughts through the browser at any time.
ShirleyNg The private mode should be in a different colour, e.g. purple. The private mode now merges with the dark theme of your browser.
- ShirleyNg
Mitchris Thanks for your suggestion! What would you expect to happen if a user also chooses a purple theme in their normal browsing?
ShirleyNg In this arrangement we go back to the starting point. Well, then maybe we should give users a choice? Let's add an option that allows the user to choose what color he wants to have private mode.
Presume that the ability to choose is incorporate, as you request.
Paraphrasing ShirleyNg early question:
What would you expect to happen if a user also chooses the same theme in their normal browsing?
Themes cannot be the means by which InPrivate mode is distinguished from Normal mode. Just because most browsers to date have done it that way does not make it the correct solution. Some variation on the current BIG BLUE "InPrivate" button is a good starting point. Obvious identifier in the browser header (user customizable colors if you like) builds on the idea that users already need to observe their browser header to know what user account they are logged into, whether the site they are visiting is HTTP vs HTTPS, what your chosen extensions are indicating, etc. Some sort if "InPrivate" identifier in the browser header is all that should reasonably be expected.
Exactly. This point seems to be overlooked in many of the suggestions. Using a given theme to signal a user that they are in Private browsing mode only works if the theme is significantly different from the theme used in Normal mode.
Many users select a given theme for a reason and do not want the OS or application to make changes to their preference. Making it obvious to the user that they are in Private mode, via some method other than a theme change, would be the reliable solution. As I noted in my earlier response, retaining a visual clue such as the current BIG BLUE "InPrivate" button is all that is necessary. Maybe let folks theme the color of that big button if they want.
- it would be better to be able to customize the color of in private to suit each user.
