Once upon a time, concealing gifts was much simpler. You could tuck them behind bedroom doors, stash them in the back of a closet, hide them in luggage, or pile them behind a stack of books. Depending on how cleverly they were hidden, gifts could remain undiscovered by curious recipients.

However, while online shopping is incredibly convenient, it often risks ruining the surprise. Our digital activities leave traces online, like ads that appear in our browsers or on social media. Fortunately, there are straightforward methods to disguise your digital trails and keep your gifts a surprise.

Check out this video for six tips on how to keep your gift purchases under wraps from family and friends.

How to Conceal Holiday Gifts

Here are some strategies to help you avoid revealing your holiday surprises inadvertently:

• Use Incognito Mode or Private Browsing.

Utilizing a feature like Incognito Mode or Private Browsing is a simple way to keep your online searches private. These modes do not track your online activity, including the sites you visit. Therefore, they won’t accidentally serve up ads for the sweater or shoes you bought for your partner or child. You don’t need to install anything new; it’s a built-in feature of your current browser.

To enable Incognito Mode in Chrome:

1. Launch Chrome.
2. Select File from the menu.
3. Click on New Incognito Window.
4. Use the browser normally.

To activate Private Browsing in Safari:

1. Open Safari.
2. Select File from the menu.
3. Click on New Private Window.
4. Navigate the browser as you typically would.

These modes are also available on mobile phones and tablets.

While you’re at it, consider disabling personalized ads!

• Email filters.

Setting up email filters can automatically redirect messages from certain companies, keywords, or subject lines to a different folder in your inbox.

The steps to create these filters vary depending on your email provider.

• Shipping address.

To avoid a branded package being delivered to your home or falling victim to porch thieves, choose a different delivery address, such as your workplace, a trusted friend’s house, or a pick-up location.

• Search history.

Make sure to clear your search history. This applies not only to search engines but also to online retailers like Amazon that track your browsing habits. Ensure your browsing history is hidden and that any orders from shared accounts are archived.

• Delivery notifications.

Switch off the delivery notification feature on your smart speaker.

How to Wrap Gifts

There are various ways to wrap a gift. You can keep it in its original shipping box, have it professionally wrapped, or use a gift bag. If you want to give it a polished look yourself, follow these steps:

To effectively determine how much wrapping paper you’ll need:

1. Place your box at the edge of the wrapping paper.
2. Turn the box over three times across the paper.
3. Cut a few inches beyond where the box ends up.
4. Ensure the wrapping paper covers three-fourths of the box’s sides.

Since wrapping paper can curl when unrolled, flip it so the curling side faces down. The best wrapping results come from using a clean, box-shaped item and sharp scissors.

To wrap your gift:

1. Position your box upside down on the wrapping paper.
2. Fold one side of the paper up, allowing the top edge of the paper to overlap by about an inch. Secure it with tape.
3. Gently press the box into the side that’s been taped to ensure it’s snug.
4. Pull the paper over the opposite side until it meets the box edge. Tip: Tuck any excess paper beneath so it overlaps the taped edge neatly. Pinch to crease, then tape in place.
5. To finish the ends, fold one corner to form a triangle and pinch the bottom edge. Do the same on the other side.
6. Turn the box over to fold and crease the remaining corners neatly.
7. Fold in both sides and secure with tape.
8. Repeat on the other end.