Note (September 2026): This guide has been updated for current browsers and apps: Internet Explorer is retired, Twitter is now X, and the Ctrl+Shift+R shortcut reloads a page while ignoring cached content rather than clearing the cache.
To improve your internet experience, make sure your connection meets the FCC’s 100/20 Mbps broadband benchmark, use private windows on shared devices, learn a few browser keyboard shortcuts, log out of accounts on devices you no longer use, and mute or unfollow accounts that make your social feeds stressful. Each step takes minutes and needs no extra software.
Key Takeaways
- The FCC’s fixed broadband benchmark is 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload, a figure it kept in its 2026 Section 706 Report released on August 14, 2026.
- Private windows (Chrome Incognito, Microsoft Edge InPrivate) stop your device from saving history and cookies, but they do not hide your activity from websites, employers, schools or your internet provider.
- Internet Explorer is retired; Microsoft ended support for Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 on June 15, 2022, and Microsoft Edge is its successor.
- Facebook lets you log out of other devices from Accounts Center under Password and security, then Where you’re logged in.
- Unfollowing on Facebook and muting on X reduce what you see without ending the connection.
The internet has become one of the most widely used technologies in everyday life. This statement does not need much proof but if you want one, look around yourself and see if the electronics around you are connected with the internet, see if the people are being assisted by the internet, and also check if you can carry out your daily tasks without the internet.
By this observation, you would have found the importance and significance of this out-of-the-world technology that has connected us all in a sort of a web. The Internet has been around for all my life and yet when I start to think about its wonders, I am in awe. Truly amazed!
This guide was first written in early 2021, after the disruption of 2020 pushed more of daily life online. The tips below have been updated as of October 2026 for current browsers and apps, so they can still make your internet experience a bit better.
For those of you who are stressed out about the internet speeds and can never enjoy a movie without it buffering and then settle for downloading it, you need to step up. As Donna and Tom from Parks & Recreation would say, you need to Treat Yo’ Self, get yourself a good internet connection.
If you are on a tight budget, one option some households consider is Spectrum bundles that combine internet, TV and phone services in one package. Prices and availability vary by address, so compare the offers from every provider that serves your location before signing up. When something becomes as important as the internet has become for all of us, we should invest in it the same way.
In this post, we have put together a list of ways that can help you elevate your internet experience, updated as of October 2026.
Clear up your digital footprint
In January 2021, many people became concerned about their online footprint after WhatsApp announced a revised privacy policy covering data sharing with its parent company, Facebook. WhatsApp later postponed the deadline to May 15, 2021, and many users moved to apps such as Signal and Telegram. If that episode made you more aware of your data, it is worth reviewing your other online accounts as well.
If there is an email account you no longer use, deleting it can shrink your digital footprint. Download anything you want to keep and move linked bank, social media and app logins to another address first: Google, for example, says deleting a Google Account removes its emails, files and photos, and the Gmail address cannot be reused.
Private web browsing
Using a private browser may make you feel like you are involved in some shady business initially, but we all have private lives and the right to maintain privacy as well. Think about what would happen if your personal chats get leaked or your financial statement can be viewed by your office colleagues. It doesn’t sound nice, does it?
This is the reason that all major browsers offer a private mode. You should always browse in a private window when using somebody else’s computer or phone. Private mode stops that device from keeping your history, cookies and site data after you close the window, but, as both Google and Microsoft state, it does not hide your activity from the websites you visit, a school or workplace network, or your internet service provider.
Internet Explorer called this feature InPrivate Browsing, but Internet Explorer is now retired: Microsoft ended support for Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 (Semi-Annual Channel) on June 15, 2022, and its successor, Microsoft Edge, keeps the InPrivate name. In older versions of Internet Explorer you clicked the Settings menu and click on Safety. You can activate InPrivate Browsing from the Safety menu. If you want to go by the route of keyboard shortcuts, just press Ctrl plus Shift plus P to launch a window of InPrivate Browsing. In Microsoft Edge today, open the Settings and more menu (the three dots) and choose New InPrivate window, or right-click the Edge taskbar icon and select New InPrivate window.
For Chrome users, click the three-dot More menu at the top right of the browser window, or press Ctrl+Shift+N on Windows and Linux (Command+Shift+N on a Mac). From the dropdown menu, select New Incognito Window, and you start browsing the web privately.
Have fun with the keyboard shortcuts
Most people know that Ctrl plus C copies content and Ctrl plus V pastes it. Many other keyboard shortcuts can make your online life easier. The examples below are for Google Chrome on Windows, as described on Google’s Chrome Help keyboard shortcuts page.
- Ctrl plus Enter adds www. and .com to a site name typed in the address bar and opens it in the current tab.
- Ctrl plus Shift plus R reloads the current page while ignoring cached content (it does not delete the cache itself).
- The Ctrl plus H opens the History page in a new tab.
- Ctrl plus J opens the Downloads page in a new tab.
- Ctrl plus Tab will rapidly move you to the next tab of your browser.
Let your social media be a healthy space for you
Sometimes social media can be brutal and other times it can be stupid. There should be a balance in the feed you take on, every day on your social accounts. Our friends and even ourselves have a different persona online and because of all the different sorts of things that are being fed to us, we start creating our own opinions.
Now, you might have some friends who are great human beings and you respect them dearly but their social accounts are nothing but a political campaign for a party you don’t support. So what should you do? Block? No. There are ways that can help you save your friendship with the person without having to tolerate their postings.
Luckily you don’t need to cut off people from your account just to see less of what they are posting. You can perhaps just soft block their accounts. For Facebook users, there is an option to unfollow a friend or a page; according to Facebook’s Help Center, you stop seeing their posts in Feed but stay friends. For users of X (the platform known as Twitter until its rebrand on July 23, 2023), there is an option to mute an account so its posts no longer appear in your timeline, and X’s Help Center says the muted account is not notified.
This way you will preserve your mental health while maintaining your real-life friendships as well.
Using Facebook was never this easy
We all like to permanently log into our social accounts to save ourselves from future hassle. Although, do you remember all the places you have signed into your Facebook account from?
Your cell phone and home computer are obvious, but other than that did you use it on a friend’s phone or a work laptop? It is a common misconception that closing the browser will log you out and so if you have not logged out yourself, your account can still be accessed from these devices.
Luckily you don’t need to dash back to work to log out now. You can log out of your Facebook account on other devices from anywhere. In older versions of Facebook you went to the top right corner of the screen and clicked the Settings menu. From that point go to Security. In the Security screen, you would see the option to close any logged-in sessions. As of October 2026, Facebook’s Help Center places this in Accounts Center: open Password and security, select Where you’re logged in, choose the device or devices, and select Log out.
Summing Up
We hope that these tips and tricks help you enjoy your internet experience a bit more.
Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay happy!
How Fast Should Your Internet Connection Be?
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defines high-speed fixed broadband as at least 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload. The FCC raised the benchmark to 100/20 Mbps on March 14, 2024, from the 25/3 Mbps level it had set in 2015, and kept it in its 2026 Section 706 Report released on August 14, 2026.
In that 2026 report, the FCC also abolished its earlier long-term goal of 1,000/500 Mbps. According to the report, 96.9% of the US population had access to terrestrial fixed broadband of at least 100/20 Mbps as of June 2025.
If your plan meets the benchmark but pages still buffer, the bottleneck is often inside the home. Our guides on ways to increase your internet speeds, Wi-Fi versus Ethernet speed and choosing a Wi-Fi router cover the most common fixes.
Private Browsing in Chrome and Edge Compared
Chrome Incognito and Microsoft Edge InPrivate work in a similar way: both discard local browsing data when the private window closes, and neither makes you anonymous online.
| Feature | Google Chrome | Microsoft Edge |
|---|---|---|
| Name of private mode | Incognito | InPrivate |
| How to open it | More menu, then New Incognito window, or Ctrl+Shift+N (Command+Shift+N on Mac) | Settings and more menu, then New InPrivate window, or right-click the taskbar icon |
| Removed when you close it | Site data and the record of sites you visited | Browsing and download history, cookies, cached files, passwords and autofill data |
| Kept after you close it | Bookmarks and downloaded files | Favorites and downloaded files |
| Who can still see activity | Websites you visit and network managers (school, employer, ISP) | Your school, workplace and internet service provider |
More Chrome Shortcuts Worth Knowing
Google’s Chrome Help page lists these additional Windows shortcuts, which save time once they become habit:
- Ctrl+T opens a new tab and jumps to it.
- Ctrl+W closes the current tab.
- Ctrl+Shift+T reopens previously closed tabs in the order they were closed.
- Ctrl+L jumps to the address bar.
- Ctrl+Shift+Delete opens the Delete Browsing Data options, which is the quick way to actually clear your cache.
- Shift+F5 reloads the current page while ignoring cached content, like Ctrl+Shift+R.
How to Keep Your Accounts Secure
A better internet experience also means fewer account problems. Three habits help most:
- Use a unique password for every account; the free secure password generator creates strong ones in your browser.
- Check whether your details have appeared in a breach, as explained in our guide on how to check if your passwords have been compromised.
- Review where you are logged in on Facebook and other services every few months, and log out of devices you no longer use.
On public networks, extra care is worth it; see how to enjoy free Wi-Fi securely.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming private mode means anonymity. Incognito and InPrivate only stop your own device from keeping a record.
- Assuming closing the browser logs you out. Sessions often stay active until you log out or end them remotely.
- Using Ctrl+Shift+R to clear the cache. That shortcut only reloads a page without the cache; use Ctrl+Shift+Delete to delete stored data.
- Deleting an old email account without preparation. Move any linked logins and download what you need first, because a deleted Gmail address cannot be reused.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good internet speed for a home?
The FCC’s benchmark for high-speed fixed broadband is 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload, a level it kept in its 2026 Section 706 Report. Households with many simultaneous users or large uploads may want more.
Does Incognito mode hide my browsing from my internet provider?
No. Google says Incognito does not make you invisible: the websites you visit and the organizations that manage your network, such as a school, employer or internet service provider, may still see your activity.
Can I still use Internet Explorer?
Internet Explorer is retired. Microsoft ended support for Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 10 (Semi-Annual Channel) on June 15, 2022. Microsoft Edge replaced it and includes an Internet Explorer mode for legacy business sites.
How do I log out of Facebook on another device?
Open Accounts Center, select Password and security, then Where you’re logged in. Choose the device or devices you want to remove and select Log out.
Will someone know if I mute them on X or unfollow them on Facebook?
X’s Help Center says muting is private and the muted account is not notified. Facebook says unfollowing hides a person’s posts from your Feed while you remain friends.
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