diff --git a/app/src/api/directus.ts b/app/src/api/directus.ts
index 7b32f8b42..13bb5f816 100644
--- a/app/src/api/directus.ts
+++ b/app/src/api/directus.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 /* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any */
-/* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/no-non-null-assertion */
 /* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/require-await */
 /* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-return */
+/* eslint-disable no-catch-all/no-catch-all */
+/* eslint-disable no-console */
 import { createDirectus, rest, authentication } from '@directus/sdk'
 
 import type { AuthenticationData, AuthenticationStorage } from '@directus/sdk'
@@ -74,24 +75,36 @@ export const authLocalStorage = (mainKey = 'directus_storage') =>
   ({
     // implementation of get, here return json parsed data from localStorage at mainKey (or null if not found)
     get: async () => {
-      const data = window.localStorage.getItem(mainKey)
-      if (data) {
-        return JSON.parse(data)
+      try {
+        const data = window.localStorage.getItem(mainKey)
+        if (data) {
+          return JSON.parse(data)
+        }
+        return null
+      } catch (error) {
+        // Handle SecurityError when localStorage is not available (e.g., in private browsing mode)
+        console.warn('localStorage not available:', error)
+        return null
       }
-      return null
     },
     // implementation of set, here set the value at mainKey in localStorage, or remove it if value is null
     set: async (value: AuthenticationData | null) => {
-      if (!value) {
-        return window.localStorage.removeItem(mainKey)
+      try {
+        if (!value) {
+          return window.localStorage.removeItem(mainKey)
+        }
+        return window.localStorage.setItem(mainKey, JSON.stringify(value))
+      } catch (error) {
+        // Handle SecurityError when localStorage is not available (e.g., in private browsing mode)
+        console.warn('localStorage not available:', error)
+        // Silently fail - authentication will fall back to memory-only storage
       }
-      return window.localStorage.setItem(mainKey, JSON.stringify(value))
     },
   }) as AuthenticationStorage
 
 export async function getRefreshToken() {
   const auth = await authLocalStorage().get()
-  return auth!.refresh_token
+  return auth?.refresh_token ?? null
 }
 
 export const directusClient = createDirectus<MyCollections>('https://api.utopia-lab.org/')
diff --git a/app/src/api/userApi.ts b/app/src/api/userApi.ts
index c63e1baa1..fc114b6c5 100644
--- a/app/src/api/userApi.ts
+++ b/app/src/api/userApi.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 /* eslint-disable no-console */
 /* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any */
 /* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-return */
+/* eslint-disable no-catch-all/no-catch-all */
 import { createUser, passwordRequest, passwordReset, readMe, updateMe } from '@directus/sdk'
 
 import { directusClient } from './directus'
@@ -78,9 +79,9 @@ export class UserApi {
       const token = await directusClient.getToken()
       return token
     } catch (error: any) {
-      console.log(error)
-      if (error.errors[0].message) throw error.errors[0].message
-      else throw error
+      console.warn('Failed to get token:', error)
+      // Don't throw error - return null instead to allow graceful fallback
+      return null
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/src/Components/AppShell/hooks/useTheme.tsx b/lib/src/Components/AppShell/hooks/useTheme.tsx
index 367d8fd3d..254996b9f 100644
--- a/lib/src/Components/AppShell/hooks/useTheme.tsx
+++ b/lib/src/Components/AppShell/hooks/useTheme.tsx
@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 import { useEffect } from 'react'
 
+import { safeLocalStorage } from '#utils/localStorage'
+
 export const useTheme = (defaultTheme = 'default') => {
   useEffect(() => {
-    const savedTheme = localStorage.getItem('theme')
+    const savedTheme = safeLocalStorage.getItem('theme')
     const initialTheme = savedTheme ? (JSON.parse(savedTheme) as string) : defaultTheme
     if (initialTheme !== 'default') {
       document.documentElement.setAttribute('data-theme', defaultTheme)
-      localStorage.setItem('theme', JSON.stringify(initialTheme))
+      safeLocalStorage.setItem('theme', JSON.stringify(initialTheme))
     }
   }, [defaultTheme])
 }
diff --git a/lib/src/Components/Auth/useAuth.tsx b/lib/src/Components/Auth/useAuth.tsx
index 413e88f58..14cdbe0cf 100644
--- a/lib/src/Components/Auth/useAuth.tsx
+++ b/lib/src/Components/Auth/useAuth.tsx
@@ -64,10 +64,13 @@ export const AuthProvider = ({ userApi, children }: AuthProviderProps) => {
         setLoading(false)
         return me
       } else {
+        setLoading(false)
         return undefined
       }
       // eslint-disable-next-line no-catch-all/no-catch-all
     } catch (error) {
+      // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+      console.warn('Failed to load user token:', error)
       setLoading(false)
       return undefined
     } finally {
diff --git a/lib/src/Components/Templates/ThemeControl.tsx b/lib/src/Components/Templates/ThemeControl.tsx
index 6ed593fcd..28cc2c7a5 100644
--- a/lib/src/Components/Templates/ThemeControl.tsx
+++ b/lib/src/Components/Templates/ThemeControl.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import { useState, useEffect } from 'react'
 
+import { safeLocalStorage } from '#utils/localStorage'
+
 const themes = [
   'default',
   'light',
@@ -15,14 +17,16 @@ const themes = [
 
 export const ThemeControl = () => {
   const [theme, setTheme] = useState<string>(() => {
-    const savedTheme = localStorage.getItem('theme')
+    const savedTheme = safeLocalStorage.getItem('theme')
     return savedTheme ? (JSON.parse(savedTheme) as string) : 'default'
   })
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (theme !== 'default') {
-      localStorage.setItem('theme', JSON.stringify(theme))
-    } else localStorage.removeItem('theme')
+      safeLocalStorage.setItem('theme', JSON.stringify(theme))
+    } else {
+      safeLocalStorage.removeItem('theme')
+    }
     document.documentElement.setAttribute('data-theme', theme)
   }, [theme])
 
diff --git a/lib/src/Utils/localStorage.ts b/lib/src/Utils/localStorage.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f3590493c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/src/Utils/localStorage.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+/* eslint-disable no-catch-all/no-catch-all */
+/* eslint-disable no-console */
+
+/**
+ * Safe localStorage utility that handles SecurityError gracefully
+ * when localStorage is not available (e.g., private browsing mode)
+ */
+export const safeLocalStorage = {
+  getItem: (key: string): string | null => {
+    try {
+      return localStorage.getItem(key)
+    } catch (error) {
+      console.warn(`localStorage.getItem failed for key "${key}":`, error)
+      return null
+    }
+  },
+
+  setItem: (key: string, value: string): void => {
+    try {
+      localStorage.setItem(key, value)
+    } catch (error) {
+      console.warn(`localStorage.setItem failed for key "${key}":`, error)
+      // Silently fail - functionality will work in memory-only mode
+    }
+  },
+
+  removeItem: (key: string): void => {
+    try {
+      localStorage.removeItem(key)
+    } catch (error) {
+      console.warn(`localStorage.removeItem failed for key "${key}":`, error)
+      // Silently fail
+    }
+  },
+}