diff --git a/browser-extension/mv3/test/network-recording-test.html b/browser-extension/mv3/test/network-recording-test.html
index 67b9d0743c..61886e8d5a 100644
--- a/browser-extension/mv3/test/network-recording-test.html
+++ b/browser-extension/mv3/test/network-recording-test.html
@@ -57,10 +57,18 @@ <h2>2. Start Recording</h2>
       <p style="margin-bottom: 6px;"><label style="display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;color:#fff;font-size:13px;"><input type="checkbox" id="disableCache" style="width:auto;margin:0;" /> Disable browser cache (wipe HTTP cache at start)</label></p>
       <p style="margin-bottom: 6px;"><label style="display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;color:#fff;font-size:13px;"><input type="checkbox" id="wipeServiceWorkers" style="width:auto;margin:0;" /> Wipe service workers (+ Cache API) at start</label></p>
       <p style="margin-bottom: 6px;"><label style="display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;color:#fff;font-size:13px;"><input type="checkbox" id="recordAjax" checked style="width:auto;margin:0;" /> Record Ajax (XHR/fetch) request &amp; response bodies</label></p>
-      <p style="margin-bottom: 0;">
+      <p style="margin-bottom: 12px;">
         <label style="display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;color:#fff;font-size:13px;margin-right:16px;"><input type="radio" name="requestScope" value="all" checked style="width:auto;margin:0;" /> All requests</label>
         <label style="display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;color:#fff;font-size:13px;"><input type="radio" name="requestScope" value="top-level" style="width:auto;margin:0;" /> Top-level only</label>
       </p>
+      <label style="margin-bottom: 6px;">Open recording in</label>
+      <p style="margin-bottom: 6px;">
+        <label style="display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;color:#fff;font-size:13px;margin-right:16px;"><input type="radio" name="openMode" value="tab" checked style="width:auto;margin:0;" /> New tab</label>
+        <label style="display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;color:#fff;font-size:13px;margin-right:16px;"><input type="radio" name="openMode" value="window" style="width:auto;margin:0;" /> New window</label>
+        <label style="display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;color:#fff;font-size:13px;"><input type="radio" name="openMode" value="incognito" style="width:auto;margin:0;" /> New incognito window</label>
+      </p>
+      <p style="margin-bottom: 6px;color:#9e9e9e;font-size:11px;">Incognito requires "Allow in Incognito" enabled for the extension at chrome://extensions — otherwise start is rejected (INCOGNITO_NOT_ALLOWED), never silently downgraded to a normal window.</p>
+      <p style="margin-bottom: 0;"><label style="display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;color:#fff;font-size:13px;"><input type="checkbox" id="closeOnStop" style="width:auto;margin:0;" /> Close recording surface on stop (tab in tab mode; window in window/incognito mode)</label></p>
     </div>
 
     <p style="margin-top: 12px;">Status: <span class="status status-idle" id="status">Idle</span></p>
@@ -125,8 +133,10 @@ <h2>Log</h2>
       const wipeServiceWorkers = document.getElementById('wipeServiceWorkers').checked;
       const recordAjax = document.getElementById('recordAjax').checked;
       const requestScope = document.querySelector('input[name="requestScope"]:checked')?.value || 'all';
+      const openMode = document.querySelector('input[name="openMode"]:checked')?.value || 'tab';
+      const closeOnStop = document.getElementById('closeOnStop').checked;
 
-      log(`Sending startNetworkRecording for: ${url}`);
+      log(`Sending startNetworkRecording for: ${url} (openMode=${openMode}, closeOnStop=${closeOnStop})`);
 
       chrome.runtime.sendMessage(
         extId,
@@ -134,7 +144,7 @@ <h2>Log</h2>
           action: "startNetworkRecording",
           payload: {
             url: url,
-            config: { maxDuration: 15 * 60 * 1000, disableCache, wipeServiceWorkers, recordAjax, requestScope },
+            config: { maxDuration: 15 * 60 * 1000, disableCache, wipeServiceWorkers, recordAjax, requestScope, openMode, closeOnStop },
           },
         },
         (response) => {
@@ -144,6 +154,7 @@ <h2>Log</h2>
           }
 
           log(`Response: ${JSON.stringify(response)}`, 'data');
+          console.log('[network-recording] startNetworkRecording response:', response);
 
           if (response?.success) {
             currentTargetTabId = response.targetTabId;
@@ -152,10 +163,18 @@ <h2>Log</h2>
             document.getElementById('status').className = 'status status-recording';
             document.getElementById('btnStart').disabled = true;
             document.getElementById('btnStop').disabled = false;
-            log(`Recording started on tab ${currentTargetTabId}`, 'info');
+            // Echo the resolved open mode (openedMode) the extension actually opened — confirms
+            // window/incognito rather than just what we asked for.
+            log(`Recording started on tab ${currentTargetTabId} (opened in: ${response.openedMode || 'tab'})`, 'info');
             openStream(extId, currentTargetTabId);
           } else {
-            log('Failed to start recording', 'error');
+            // Surface the typed rejection code (INCOGNITO_NOT_ALLOWED / INCOGNITO_DISABLED_BY_POLICY)
+            // distinctly from the generic error, so the incognito-gating path is obvious while testing.
+            if (response?.code) {
+              log(`Failed to start recording [${response.code}]: ${response.error || ''}`, 'error');
+            } else {
+              log(`Failed to start recording: ${response?.error || 'unknown error'}`, 'error');
+            }
           }
         }
       );