Once upon a time, Internet Explorer was the default browser on all Apple Mac devices. Until 2003, when Apple released Safari, which eventually resulted in Microsoft discontinuing any support for Internet Explorer for Mac from 2005 onwards.
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- Microsoft Internet Explorer 2 is the next version of Internet Explorer, the popular web browser by Microsoft. It was published on November 22, 1995 for Windows NT and Windows 95. The first version for Apple Macintosh and Windows 3.1 was produced later in April 23, 1996.
- Internet Explorer 11 is a Windows web browser from Microsoft, but those running OS X on a Mac can also use Internet Explorer 11 through a great free service called ModernIE from Microsoft.
After that, the agreement that Apple and Microsoft was dissolved and any download links from official sites were removed. Getting IE or a newer Microsoft browser, Edge, on a Mac, simply isn't possible unless you want to download a potentially risky version from Torrent sites (not recommended).
To begin with, Microsoft has developed a special software tool RemoteIE, which allows users to run Internet Explorer on computers and mobile devices running macOS, iOS, and Android. It does not require any additional operating system or a virtual machine. The service is based on Azure RemoteApp technologies. This approach has several advantages.
So unless you are still running Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) and earlier versions, you won't be able to get and operate Internet Explorer, and the only versions you might be able to access have been unsupported since 2005.
For anyone with a passing familiarity with computers, that sounds like a major security breach waiting to happen. You don't want to be attempting to run a browser that hasn't benefited from any official support and upgrades for over a decade; so for those who need access to IE, this article is about how to get Internet Explorer for Mac.
How to get Internet Explorer for Mac?
As we mentioned, IE and Microsoft’s more evolved browser, Edge, is not directly available for Mac users. It isn't as though there aren't plenty of other browsers around, including Safari, Firefox and Chrome.
However, for those who develop apps and web-based technology, it can be useful - if not essential - to view how something is going to look and function on other web browsers, including Internet Explorer. It could be detrimental, especially if you've got users or customers of a web-based product, to launch it with no knowledge or testing of the user-experience across a range of browsers, including Internet Explorer.
Thankfully, there is a way to simulate having Internet Explorer on a Mac without downloading a security risk or using a Mac which is running Snow Leopard. Here is how you can get Internet Explorer on a Mac:
- Open Safari (this can be used to test the browser experience from other operating systems)
- Go to Preferences > Advanced
- At the bottom of this is a checkbox: Tick it: “Show Develop menu in menu bar”
- Now this gives you access to Developer Tools (known as the Develop menu in Safari’s menu bar);
- The Develop Menu is accessible through the top toolbar when Safari is open
- Go to User Agent
- Within that, you should be able to select a number of Internet Explorer and Edge browser versions to experience on a Mac, which should give you the user-experience required to test a new web-based product on those browsers on a Mac
- Whatever website you are on will automatically refresh to mirror an IE or Edge experience, on Mac. Do remember to switch back to Safari after you’ve visited that website using the User Agent option in the Develop menu.
If, for any reason, you need to take the IE experience to the next level on a Mac, you could download a virtual machine (such as VMware Fusion, which has a Windows license), therefore creating a Microsoft environment on a Mac, which would allow you to download Internet Explorer.
Before you do that, it can be useful to make sure your Mac is running at peak performance and not cluttered up with unwanted system junk. Here is how you can do that:
- Download CleanMyMac X (for free, here)
- Click on the Systems Junk tab
- Once your systems have been scanned, you can safely delete anything taking up space and slowing your Mac down.
Run Internet Explorer on a virtual machine
For those who need to take this one step further, here is how you can use Internet Explorer and run other Microsoft programs.
- Buy and download virtual machine software (such as VMware fusion)
- Now download a Windows ISO file (from the relevant Microsoft website)
- Launch VMware Fusion
- During the installation sequence, click “Create a new custom virtual machine”
- Drag and drop the Windows ISO file into the dialogue window
- Click Finish
- Then relaunch the Virtual Machine
- Now you can download Internet Explorer, Edge and any number of web or app-based Microsoft products.
When you want to go back to running software on macOS, remember to close the virtual machine and revert to your Mac how it usually is. For those who want to improve their overall Mac experience, the app we mentioned - CleanMyMac X - is well worth downloading. CleanMyMac X was created to make your life and work easier, and make your Mac operate as good as new.
Internet Explorer is one of the most popular web browsers in the world. Even though it is nearly dead, there are a number of times you may need it, even on Mac. So, how do you get Internet Explorer for Mac?Does IE have a Mac version? If you have similar questions going in your mind, this post is specially written for you.
Internet Explorer For Mac Os
Here, I will tell you how to use Internet Explorer on Mac. Since there are multiple methods available to do that, I will tell you about all the good ones. So, you’ll be able to run IE on your Mac PC.
Contents
- 1 Is Internet Explorer Available for Mac?
- 2 How to Download Internet Explorer for Mac?
Is Internet Explorer Available for Mac?
Internet Explorer was once the sole ruler of the web. What once was the most used browser is now nearing to its end. However, it is still not done. There are many websites that only run best on Internet Explorer, or its successor, Microsoft Edge. Unfortunately, Internet Explorer is NOT AVAILABLE for MAC. The default browser for Mac is Safari, and you can’t install IE externally as well.
Internet Explorer was once available for Mac from 1998 to 2003. But then, Microsoft discontinued the development of IE for Mac as Safari was launched. The support officially ended in 2005. After that, Internet Explorer became an unknown object on Mac. Since you aren’t using MacOSX 10.6 or earlier, you will not get IE directly.
Can I use Internet Explorer on Mac?
Fortunately, you can use Internet Explorer on Mac. It isn’t possible to directly install and launch it just like you do on Windows. But, you can do that by using some special workarounds. There are some great ways that you can resort to like masking Safari as IE or Edge, using virtualization software, or simply using an alternative.
You can use any method depending upon the purpose you have. We’ll take a look at all those workarounds next.
How to Download Internet Explorer for Mac?
As you can’t directly use IE on Mac, you have to use special methods. Luckily, we have a few good ones available. I’ll explain all of them here. You can simply go through them and pick the one that you find suitable to your preferences. None of them is complex and anyone can easily apply them.
1. Use IE Tab Browser Extension
IE Tab is a well-known Google Chrome extension. It allows you to view the web pages as if you are rendering them inside Internet Explorer even without having it. Since Google Chrome is available on Mac, you can install and launch it on your Mac PC. And then, you can add this extension to Chrome.
After that, you can easily access the web pages via this extension as if they are loading in Internet Explorer. It is a simple and minimalistic method for anyone who just wants to experience the IE interface, and nothing more.
2. Simulate Internet Explore on Mac with Safari
If you want to use IE on Mac for testing purposes, you can’t rely on the first method. For that, you can masquerade Safari to work like Internet Explorer. Safari allows you to load web pages as if they are running inside IE. To know how to do that, follow these steps:
- Launch Safari.
- Click on Preferences and then click on Advanced.
- Next, check the ‘Show Develop menu in menu bar‘ box.
- Then, go to the Develop menu in Safari’s menu bar at the top.
- Now go to ‘User-Agent’ and choose the browser that you want to simulate.
- Here, choose any version of Internet Explorer, or Microsoft Edge.
That’s it. The website you are currently using will automatically be refreshed and you’ll find it inside the browser of your choice. You can switch back to Safari by following the same steps and then choosing the default browser.
3. Use a Virtualization Tool (VMware)
You can also use a virtualization tool like VMware to create a Windows-like environment on your Mac and then run IE. However, I wouldn’t recommend this method as it needs a lot of effort and money, and the result would only allow you to use Internet Explorer. Still, if you want to try it, follow these steps:
- Download VMware Fusion and the Windows ISO File on your Mac. You’ll have to purchaseboth of them since they are not free.
- After downloading, run the VMware file. The installation window will launch.
- Select the ‘Create a new custom virtual machine‘ option here.
- Next, drag and drop the Windows ISO file that you downloaded earlier onto the Fusion window.
- After going through the on-screen instructions, click on Finish.
- Now relaunch VMware Fusion from the Dock and then click on the ‘Play’ button to set up Windows.
- After that, you’ll be able to use Internet Explorer just like you do on a Windows PC.
That’s it. You can also an app like WineBottlerfor this purpose. But, remember that virtualization is a heavy task and your PC may have problems co-operating with it.
4. Use an Alternative Browser
The simplest and ultimate solution to get the Internet Explorer experience on your MacBook is to use a browser like Internet Explorer. If you want some suggestions, here the top contenders:
Microsoft Edge– Microsoft developed Edge to replace Internet Explorer. Hence, it has all the necessary features that you used IE for, plus it has traces of Internet Explorer’s interface as well. Earlier, it wasn’t available for Mac but now they have launched it. So, go and try it.
Google Chrome– Chrome is the most popular and used browser in the world currently. However, Mac users don’t prefer using it over Safari. But, it is definitely worth a shot.
Download Internet Explorer For Mac
Mozilla Firefox– Firefox by Mozilla is a highly underrated browser. It is fast, secure, and simple to use. You can use it on your Mac PC to get that IE feels.
You can use these and browse the internet like IE but in a faster and more improvised manner.
Final Verdict
There are times when you’ll need to use Internet Explorer, even on your Mac PC. This is how you can do that. I’ve explained all the viable methods here. You can pick and use any method that you like. One more method to run IE on Mac is via Modern IE, which is Microsoft’s service to test IE on Mac. But, that method is specifically for developers.
If you know about any other way, you can share it with us in the comments section. That’s all for this post. I hope you find it helpful. Feel free to use the comment box for any queries or suggestions.