The Internet Explorer 11 on Mac works really great and is fast, fluid and responsive but depends on the Internet speed. It won’t work properly if you want to use it offline because we haven’t downloaded or installed Internet Explorer for Mac, but rather used the Microsoft Remote Desktop app to use it virtually.
Internet trends come and go, but there are still some good original components with a lot of staying power. Cue Internet Explorer, one of the first internet browsers of the modern era. It was first introduced in 1995 and was the most widely used in the late 1990s and early 2000s. As people used the internet more, Microsoft introduced more and more functions to the browser that were considered cutting edge technology at the time. Flat web pages turned into more exciting, detailed experiences that made searching the web more fun and allowed users to connect in more ways than we thought possible. Users and developers alike considered Internet Explorer to be the top example of what technology can do and the foundation of what it means to be truly innovative. While the internet has evolved and a lot of people have started using one of the large numbers of internet browsers available today, Internet Explorer still has die-hard fans all over the globe.
Pre-installed on most PCs
The most streamlined browser for the casual internet user
If you have a computer running the Windows OS, you more than likely have a version of Internet Explorer already installed. On Windows 10, the most recent version of the browser is Internet Explorer 11. The little blue 'e' that you'll see in your taskbar isn't Explorer though, it's Microsoft Edge, the newest browser from Microsoft that was first released in 2015. Edge is the default browser that will come up when you first use the internet on the Windows OS. In order to get to Internet Explorer, you'll need to search for it in the task bar.
The first thing that happens when you open the browser is a window pops up prompting you to properly set it up. You can either choose the recommended settings or opt-out and customize the settings your own way. Using the recommended settings mostly affects the security and compatibility of your browser by enabling Windows Defender SmartScreen. SmartScreen is a component that works to protect you from harmful websites by relaying them to Microsoft to be looked over. More on privacy later.
After the quick setup, you'll be taken to the MSN homepage. On this page you can view the latest news headlines, see world news, news specifically about your city and more. At the top of the page there are icons directing you to other Microsoft software and apps, like the Microsoft store, Outlook, One Drive, and the Microsoft Office Suite. Entering anything into the MSN search bar redirects you to the Bing search engine. The interface is incredibly simple, with four icons to the top right taking you to menus for favorites and history, an icon for tools, one for settings, and one to bring you back to the home page. There is no clutter and tabs are quite thin - even more so than some competitors.
There are a few features that we find really cool, and one of our favorites is the ability to pin websites. If there's a website that you visit frequently, just drag the tab down to the task bar and bam - the website is pinned! From then on, clicking on the icon brings up the page in Internet Explorer and changes the tab's appearance - navigational arrows are now the color of the site's icon (like light blue for Twitter or pink for Instagram) and the logo sits on the far left of the address bar.
Back to privacy, which is at the top of our list of important things to know about browsers. Microsoft is very transparent about security and the data that they collect from users. Depending on your settings, Microsoft does store data about the products and features that you use through their services. Some of this data is required by law, and some of it is taken in exchange for the use of their products, but most times this is basic information like your name and email address. If you're uncomfortable with this knowledge, there are ways to restrict what data is collected by visiting Microsoft's opt-out page and clearing some of what you'll find on the Microsoft Privacy Dashboard, like your location data and search history.
Where can you run this program?
You can run Internet Explorer on any PC that runs Windows. It was previously available for some video game consoles, but is not available on Android and iOS devices.
Is there a better alternative?
This version of Internet Explorer is not the same one from ten years ago. When people think of this browser, they think that it's outdated, slow, and boring to look at. Truthfully, IE11 is a fresh breath of air compared to what it used to be. With that said, if you're someone who likes the convenience of having a large extension catalogue, IE may not be what you're looking for. In that case, Chrome would be ideal as they have an extension for nearly anything that you can think of. If you have a Mac, Safari is great for all of your basic needs as well. The user who just wants to browse the web, do some shopping, and watch YouTube will have no problem with Internet Explorer.
Our take
Internet Explorer is a basic, decent browser. No new-fangled add-ons or extensions, no bells and whistles. If we could describe it in one word, ‘standard’ would be it. It can handle searches, bookmarking, videos at a decent resolution, and some light browser games. Don't look to do too much with this browser besides surface activities like researching, reading, and some occasional downloading of small files.
Should you download it?
You should download Internet Explorer if you're a very basic internet user. If you prefer paper books to Kindles, and writing letters to texting, this browser will be up your alley. You can watch videos, but after testing a few on YouTube, switching to another tab and then back again would cause the browser to crash. Avoid websites with a lot of ads and graphics, as those will make IE crash as well. This browser has come a long way in terms of speed with most sites loading in about three seconds or less. With that said, there are more things that you can't do than what you can, especially if you're trying this browser out after using others like Firefox or Chrome. No extensions, no heavy downloading, and playing browser games is nearly impossible for an extended amount of time.
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If you’ve just recently switched from PC to Mac, you’ve probably noticed that instead of Internet Explorer or Edge that you’re used to, Mac has its own proprietary browser called Safari. In fact if you try searching for “download Internet Explorer for Mac” you’ll quickly realize that the exact IE equivalent on Mac doesn’t exist. What do you do then?
Interestingly, at the dawn of the world wide web in the late 90s, Internet Explorer was the default browser on all Macs. But when Apple introduced Safari as the new default browser in 2003, Microsoft has decided to discontinue the development of IE for Mac shortly after. So unless you run Mac OS X 10.6 or earlier (why would you?), there is no way to directly install Internet Explorer on Mac. And you definitely shouldn’t use the Internet Explorer versions from pre-2003 right now.
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How To Use Internet Explorer on Mac
Although natively launching Internet Explorer on Mac isn’t possible, there are other ways to simulate IE for Mac experience. You could mask Safari as different versions of Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge, you could also install a virtual machine and launch IE for Mac that way, or you could simply choose to use any other third-party browser available on macOS.
Simulate Internet Explorer on Mac with Safari
Most of the time, if you need to use Internet Explorer on Mac, it’s probably for testing purposes, to see how certain websites or web apps perform, or to access websites that require you to use IE (yes, those still exist).
Both of those use cases could be easily performed by Safari. To use Internet Explorer with Safari, you just need to turn on developer tools:
- In Safari, go to Preferences > Advanced
- Check “Show Develop menu in menu bar”
Now you can access developer tools directly from Safari, which let you inspect websites, empty caches, and most importantly simulate a variety of other browsers right through the Safari app. To use Microsoft Edge or Internet Explorer on Mac:
- Go to the Develop menu in Safari’s menu bar
- Navigate to User Agent and select the browser you’re looking for, whether it’s Microsoft Edge, any of the Internet Explorer versions, Google Chrome, Firefox, etc.
- The website you’re on will be automatically refreshed to reflect the browser of your choice. Just don’t forget to switch back!
The User Agent option in Safari should cover nearly all reasons for using Internet Explorer on Mac. However, if you do absolutely need to launch Internet Explorer itself for one reason or another, you could also try doing it with the help of a virtual machine.
Launch Internet Explorer on a virtual machine
While using a virtual machine for Internet Explorer is not by any means an easy solution, it’s still there for anyone who needs it. What virtual machine essentially does is installing a full-scale copy of Windows on your Mac and letting you launch it as an app inside the macOS. From there you can launch Internet Explorer or, in fact, any program you miss from your Windows days.
To set up virtual machine, first you need to buy a copy of some virtual machine software (VMware Fusion is a good one) and a license for Windows. Once you have those in place:
- Download both VMware fusion and the Windows ISO file
- Launch VMware Fusion
- In the Installation Method window, choose “Create a new custom virtual machine”
- Drag and drop your Windows ISO file onto the dialogue window
- Click Finish
- Relaunch the virtual machine and click the play button to setup Windows
Now every time you need to use Internet Explorer on Mac, you can just launch the virtual machine and use IE directly with Windows that way. There are certainly a few downsides to this solution. First, you have to purchase both VMware Fusion and a licensed copy of Windows for the sole purpose of using Internet Explorer. Second, virtual machines tend to be quite heavy on your processor, as they are running the whole operating system inside them.
Another option available to you in case you don’t specifically need to use IE for Mac but rather move away from Safari is to switch to any other third-party browser, all of which are freely available on macOS.
Use third-party browsers on Mac
If Safari is not your first browser of choice and using Internet Explorer for Mac is at the very least quite complicated, you can download any other stable and widely used browser out there and make it the default one on your macOS.
Google Chrome
By far the most dominant browser of today, Google Chrome currently commands 45–65% browser market share. Developed by Google, the browser is available on both desktop and mobile devices, and thus boasts a significant amount of plugins and web apps that are exclusive to it. Chrome has also been praised for its speed and tight integration with all other Google products. As for the downsides, using Chrome means being subjected to Google’s pervading tracking and helping Google to effectively monopolize the web.
Firefox
Firefox is another great everyday browser. Heir to the first commercial web browser called Netscape, it’s an open-source program owned by the not-for-profit Mozilla Foundation. Firefox is fast, secure, and boasts a supportive community around the world. All of this makes it a great alternative to Safari and Internet Explorer.
Brave
Brave is a newcomer to the browser arena that first appear only in 2015. Based on the open-source Chromium project (as is Google Chrome), the browser quickly gained a loyal following due to its aggressive privacy controls and ad blocking. Turning Brave into your default browser might seem a bit experimental at this point, but it nevertheless presents a good option for anyone concerned with privacy.
Microsoft Edge
Although not available on macOS as of early 2019, Microsoft has announced that it’s currently rewriting the Edge browser engine to run on Chromium (like Google Chrome and Brave), which means it will become compatible with macOS too upon release. Fingers crossed, but in the meantime you can choose one of the alternative browsers listed above.
Overall, these are your three options of running Internet Explorer on Mac. You can use Safari’s User Agent to view any webpage just as Internet Explorer would, launch the actual Internet Explorer browser through a virtual machine running Windows, or choose one of the alternative browsers if all you want to do is get away from Safari on Mac.
However, if you’re new to Mac, a browser might not be the only thing you’re concerned about. You also need to find apps to cover all kinds of issues related to optimization, organization, security, and productivity.
Essential apps for all new Mac owners
As soon as you switch from PC to Mac, you realize that sadly not all apps you loved and used daily are available on macOS. So naturally you need to find suitable replacements. The good news is Mac has an abundance of great apps for everything you need. But how do you choose and decide which ones are worth your time?
That’s where a platform like Setapp becomes indispensable. Setapp is a collection of more than 150 essential apps and utilities for Mac that cover all possible use cases and scenarios. All apps in the collection are automatically updated to their latest versions and new apps are added regularly. It’s a godsend for new and seasoned Mac users alike. Discover new apps that are the best at what they do? What’s not to like?
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Here is an essential introductory set of some of the apps featured on Setapp that every new Mac users should have.
Bartender
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A lightweight utility performing a vital role, Bartender keeps your menu bar clean and tidy. As you use your Mac more and more, every new app would want to be featured in your menu bar (top-right corner). This quickly becomes unsustainable, and instead of a quick access to the apps you need, you’ll spend more time just trying to find the right one.
Mac’s default organization settings for menu bar are quite basic, only allowing you to reshuffle icons. Bartender lets you hide them under a single icon and feature just those you need to use right at the moment.
Ulysses
Lauded as the best writing tool for years, Ulysses features a clean interface and lets you focus on the writing process, whether it’s for simple notes, speeches, or anything in between. And the app’s Markdown support makes it much more web friendly, allowing direct exports to WordPress and Medium.
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Disk Drill
No one ever wants to lose their files, no matter whether it’s due to physical damage or accidental deletion. Disk Drill solves that problem by essentially insuring and giving you the option to recover your files. As the most widely used data recovery tool around, Disk Drill helps you back your files on a regular basis and save lost files from damaged hard drives if things ever go south.
CleanMyMac X
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The ultimate Mac optimization app, CleanMyMac X keeps your Mac free of any junk, safely and completely uninstalls old apps, and protects you from being affected by malware. Just launch CleanMyMac X once a month to do a complete scan of your computer and you’ll ensure your Mac’s top condition.
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Best of all, Bartender, Ulysses, Disk Drill, CleanMyMac X, and all other apps featured on Setapp are available to you on a free trial. Just launch Setapp and try out as many apps as you want, turning your transition to Mac from a chore to a pleasurable discovery.