Support for Internet Explorer ended on June 15, 2022

If any site you visit needs Internet Explorer 11, you can reload it with Internet Explorer mode in Microsoft Edge. The same Internet Explorer 11 apps and sites you use today can open in Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode.

Microsoft Edge is the faster, more secure browser recommended by Microsoft. With improved security, privacy, speed, and ease of use, Microsoft Edge surpasses the experience you’ve come to know with Internet Explorer. When you make the switch to Microsoft Edge, we’ll automatically import your favorites, preferences, and other browsing data from Internet Explorer.

Get started with Microsoft Edge

Better security

Microsoft Edge includes Microsoft Defender SmartScreen, which helps identify suspicious sites that may present phishing or malware attacks. SmartScreen also checks your downloads to help you recognize possible risks. For more information about security in Microsoft Edge, see How can SmartScreen help protect me in Microsoft Edge?

Increased privacy

Tracking prevention

Microsoft Edge provides better control over how your data is tracked as you browse the web. It provides three levels of tracking prevention: Basic, Balanced, and Strict.  You can choose the option that best suits your desired balance of personalization and privacy. For more information about tracking prevention, see Learn about tracking prevention in Microsoft Edge.

InPrivate browsing

Microsoft Edge offers InPrivate browsing, which allows you to hide your browsing history, site and form data, cookies, and passwords from other people who use the same device. InPrivate browsing includes InPrivate search with Microsoft Bing, so any searches on Bing won't be associated with you or influence your Bing search suggestions. For more information about InPrivate browsing, see Browse InPrivate in Microsoft Edge.

Smarter browsing

Microsoft Edge features built-in learning and accessibility tools that enhance your browsing experience, making it easier to find the information you need and connect to it in the way that suits you best. 

Microsoft Edge integrates Immersive Reader for some websites, so you can hear web content read to you or view articles without distracting ads.

You can use Collections to organize content on the web around specific themes. Collections is useful whether you're organizing your research, planning a trip, doing comparison shopping, of just want to pick up your browsing later. For more information about using Collections, see Organize your ideas with Collections in Microsoft Edge

Sync across all devices

With Microsoft Edge, you can sync your favorites, passwords, and other info across multiple devices. Just sign in to Microsoft Edge using the same Microsoft account on each device.

For more information about syncing across multiple devices, see Sign in to sync Microsoft Edge across devices.

Want Microsoft Edge for your mobile device? Get Microsoft Edge for iOS or Android.

Customize your browser

There are many ways to customize how your Microsoft Edge browser looks, feels, and behaves. You can change the browser's appearance (themes, toolbar, display fonts), set how a new tab page looks, and choose the startup behavior. To access these settings:

  1. At the top corner of the browser, select Settings and more  > Settings .

  2. Under Settings, do any of the following:

    • To change appearance, select Appearance and make the changes you want to your default theme, zoom, toolbar, and fonts.

    • To change startup behavior, select On startup, and then select what you want Microsoft Edge to display on startup.

    • To set how the page looks when you open a new tab, select New tab page, then select Customize, and in the window, select the options you want for Page content and Page layout.

You can also personalize the new tab page in Microsoft Edge.

  1. Above the address bar, select the + button to open a new tab.

  2. At the top corner of the new tab page, select Page Settings .

  3. Choose your page layout, background image, quick links, and more.

  4. Scroll down to see your news feed and select Personalize to choose your interests.

Quickly import your favorites, passwords, and other browser data from Internet Explorer

To make your switch to Microsoft Edge as seamless as possible, you can import data from Internet Explorer and have all your saved favorites, passwords, and other info available to you. There's no need to recreate this data in Microsoft Edge. 

Import browser data

For more information about importing your browser data, see Import favorites in Microsoft Edge.

Make Microsoft Edge your default browser

If you've downloaded Microsoft Edge but it's not your default browser, you can easily set it to be your default for Windows 10 or macOS.

Windows 10 

  1. Go to Start  > Settings  > Apps > Default apps > Web browser.

  2. Select the icon for the current default browser, and then, in the list, select Microsoft Edge.

macOS 

  1. Go to the Apple menu > System Preferences > General > Default web browser.

  2. From the Default web browser list, select Microsoft Edge.

Get tips and tricks for Microsoft Edge

To get the most out of Microsoft Edge, check out Microsoft Edge Tips.

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