Despite being slow, outdated, and a security risk, you still need Internet Explorer (IE) for older websites and apps that don’t work well with modern browsers. But if you use Microsoft Edge for normal web browsing, you don’t have to keep switching between the two. This is because the latter comes with a built-in Internet Explorer mode capable of rendering sites in IE’s Trident MSHTML engine. Find out how to enable Internet Explorer mode in Edge on Windows 10/11
How to enable Internet Explorer mode in Edge on Windows
However, before you can use Microsoft Edge to load legacy web content, you must turn on Internet Explorer mode. The following instructions will walk you through everything you need to know to set up this mode on a Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC.
How to activate Internet Explorer mode in Edge
Internet Explorer mode is built into the Chromium version of Microsoft Edge. You can activate it by digging into the browser’s settings page.
1. Open the menu Configuration and more Edge by selecting the three dots icon at the top right of the window. Then choose the option labeled Setting .
2. Select Default browser in the sidebar.
3. Look for the section of internet explorer compatibility to the right of the Settings page.
4. Open the dropdown menu next to Allow sites to reload in Internet Explorer mode and select Allow .
5. Select Restart . Microsoft Edge will automatically restart.
Internet Explorer mode is now active in Microsoft Edge. You can invoke it manually or set the browser to use it automatically for specific websites and pages.
How to enable and disable Internet Explorer mode in Edge
With Internet Explorer mode active in Microsoft Edge, you can manually load a web page or app using the Trident MSHTML engine whenever you want.
1. Load the webpage or app in Edge.
2. Open the menu Settings and more .
3. Select top up at internet explorer mode .
The site will reload in Internet Explorer mode. You’ll see the familiar Internet Explorer logo to the left of the Microsoft Edge address bar confirming this. Links you click will also load in Internet Explorer mode, as long as they load pages belonging to the same domain.
If you have other tabs with legacy content, you must manually enable Internet Explorer mode for them.
If you want to use the Chromium engine again, just open the menu again Settings and more and select Exit Internet Explorer mode . Or just exit the tab.
Note: If you are having trouble enabling Internet Explorer Mode, you may need to install Internet Explorer or the Internet Explorer Mode module on your PC. Scroll below for instructions.
How to set sites to always load in Internet Explorer mode
If you interact with older websites and apps regularly, you can tell Microsoft Edge to load them in Internet Explorer mode by default. You have a couple of ways to do it.
If you’ve manually enabled Internet Explorer mode for a site, simply select the Internet Explorer logo. internet explorer in the address bar, turn on the switch next to Open this page in Internet Explorer mode next time and select Clever .
Alternatively, you can add the web page URLs through the Microsoft Edge Settings page.
1. Open the menu Settings and more and select Setting .
2. Select Default browser in the sidebar.
3. Select the button Add beside Internet Explorer mode pages .
4. Enter the URL of a page that you want to load in Internet Explorer mode by default.
5. Select Add .
6. Repeat steps 3 β 5 for any other page you may want to add.
How to Add an Internet Explorer Mode Button to Edge
Microsoft Edge allows you to add a Internet Explorer mode button to the browser toolbar. That makes it easy to enable and disable the functionality.
1. Open the menu Settings and more and select Setting .
2. Select Appearance in the sidebar.
3. Scroll down to the section Customize toolbar and turn on the switch next to internet explorer mode button .
An Internet Explorer Mode button should now appear to the right of the address bar. Select it whenever you want to enter and exit Internet Explorer mode.
If you want to remove the button from Internet Explorer mode, go back to Setting > Appearance and turn off the switch next to the internet explorer mode .
Can’t enable Internet Explorer mode? This is what to do
Internet Explorer comes pre-installed on Windows 10. But some PCs require you to turn it on before you can start using it. So, for example, if you get a “Cannot find Internet Explorer” message while enabling Internet Explorer mode for a web page or app, doing so should help.
The same problem can also occur in Windows 11. However, Microsoft’s latest operating system does not include Internet Explorer as a separate application. Instead, it comes with an Internet Explorer mode module that you have to add as an optional feature.
How to add Internet Explorer in Windows 10
1. Open the menu Start and select Setting .
2. Select Applications .
3. Select Optional Features .
4. Select Add a function .
5. Check the box next to internet explorer .
6. Select Install .
How to Add Internet Explorer Mode Module in Windows 11
1. Open the menu Start and select Setting .
2. Select Applications > Optional Features .
3. Select See features .
4. Check the box next to the internet explorer mode and select Following .
6. Select Install .
Internet Explorer mode: a two-in-one experience
Internet Explorer mode helps you keep your web browsing limited to Microsoft Edge. You should be able to use it, even after Microsoft discontinues Internet Explorer in mid-2022. However, you should refrain from using the functionality for pages that work fine on Edge’s default Chromium engine. The tradeoff in performance and security is simply not worth it.
That said, if you are in an organizational environment, please refer to the Internet Explorer Mode Getting Started guide for details on how to configure the necessary policies to implement and enable functionality for internal and external sites.
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