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Download free virtual machines to test Microsoft Edge and IE8 to IE11. This site uses cookies for analytics, personalized content and ads. By continuing to browse this site, you agree to this use. Mac users will need to use a tool that supports zip64, like The Unarchiver, to unzip the files. The password to your VM is 'Passw0rd!' Internet Explorer for Mac was Microsoft's free web browser designed to run on Mac computers. While you can still download Internet Explorer for Mac from this page, it is important to note that the product is no longer supported by Microsoft. Download Mozilla Firefox, a free Web browser. Firefox is created by a global non-profit dedicated to putting individuals in control online. Get Firefox for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS today! Easy and free screen recorder for Mac, Windows, and Chromebooks. Record your camera and screen with audio directly from your Chrome browser and share the video with your team, friends, and family. Download Chrome for Mac. For Mac OS X 10.10 or later. This computer will no longer receive Google Chrome updates because Mac OS X 10.6 - 10.9 are no longer supported.
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?
Try all these apps for free
Get around browser restrictions to enjoy your web journey with useful apps for Mac users
Here is an essential introductory set of some of the apps featured on Setapp that every new Mac users should have.
Bartender
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.
Disk Drill
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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
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.
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.
Setapp lives on Mac and iOS. Please come back from another device.
Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.
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The new world is beginning to adapt and migrate to digital platforms. There are more than 4.8 billion active internet users worldwide, after all. The internet provides platforms for users to do work, education, and shopping.
There are many web browsers available for users to access online resources. Some of the most popular include Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. Before Safari was available on Mac in 2003, Internet Explorer was its default web browser.
Internet Explorer remains one of the most popular web browsers. Wondering how to use Internet Explorer for Mac? In this article, we show you how to use Internet Explorer on your Mac OS.
What Is Internet Explorer?
Internet Explorer was the default web browser for Windows devices. Microsoft, a popular American computer company, developed this web browser in 1995. Between 1995 and 2013, there were over 11 released versions of IE.
From 2003 to 2004, IE had estimated over 90% of the browser market share. In 2005, Microsoft stopped supporting Internet Explorer or Edge. While IE faces a decline in popularity, it remains one of the most popular web browsers to date.
Advantages of Using Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer is a universal web browsing app. One of the advantages of using IE is that it’s free. Most countries with internet connections may access Internet Explorer.
Version 9 of Internet Explorer offers an enhanced browsing experience thanks to HTML 5. Users may freely stream audio and videos without installing additional plugins. Since it’s one of the oldest platforms, it may support different apps that newer browsers can’t.
IE reopens its user’s last browsing session. This feature is useful in case of accidental closing or crashing. You may only access some websites through Internet Explorer.
IE offers its users various special features. In the accessibility setting, you may choose to ignore font styles and colors. You may also use custom style sheets as required.
Looking to download Internet Explorer for Mac? While you may not run IE natively on your Mac OS, you may try other methods. Read on to discover how to use Internet Explorer for Mac.
Read: How to Block Pop Up Ads
How to Use Internet Explorer on Safari?
Safari is the default Mac browser, first released in 2003. Between 2007 and 2012, Apple offered Safari on Windows devices. It became more popular with the release of the Apple iPhone and iPad.
If you’re looking to try the Internet Explorer experience, Safari offers a platform for you to do so. With Safari, you may masquerade as a user for other web browsers. Follow the steps below to find out how to simulate Internet Explorer on Safari.
- Open Safari from your Applications folder or Dock
- In the top left corner of the menu bar, find and select Safari
- Select Preferences
- Select the Advanced tab at the far right of the window
- Find the Show Develop menu in the menu bar. Click the box next to it to check it
- Close your Preferences window when done
- Select Develop and hover your mouse cursor over User-Agent
- Select your desired browser’s user agent.
- To simulate a PC, choose from Microsoft Edge, Firefox – Windows or Google Chrome – Windows
- To enter a custom string, select Other
- Input the user agent string of the browser or operating system you wish to use
Click OK and your Mac will reload with the selected user agent. Keep in mind that Safari will not be the legitimate form of your selected browser and only a simulation. Apps or sites that require third-party plugins may prevent your browser from working properly.
Use Internet Explorer on a Virtual Machine
Using a virtual machine to open Internet Explorer may require more work. But it’s a great alternative for those who want to try the Internet Explorer experience. A virtual machine allows you to install a full-scale copy of Windows OS to your Mac.
You may launch this copy as an app on your Mac after downloading. With the virtual machine, you may enjoy any Windows apps or programs that are not available on Mac. Before you set up your virtual machine, purchase a copy of the software, and a Windows license.
We recommend you to use VMware Fusion when looking for a good Mac virtual machine. After buying a virtual machine, follow these steps to run Internet Explorer.
- Download VMware Fusion or any other virtual machine software
- Download the Windows ISO file
- Find VMware Fusion on your Mac and launch the app
- Follow the necessary prompts in the installation tool
- Choose to Create A New Custom Virtual Machine
- Navigate your Windows ISO file
- Place the ISO file into the installation dialogue window
- Select Finish
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After installation, you may relaunch the virtual machine. You can set up Windows by clicking the Play button. When you need to use Internet Explorer on Mac, use the virtual machine.
Unlike the first free method, this one requires you to purchase VMware Fusion. To use Internet Explorer, you also need a licensed Windows copy. You may enjoy the full Internet Explorer experience with this method.
Take note that using a virtual machine may slow down your computer. This method makes users run another operating system on your Mac. It may slow down your processor and affect performance.
Use Third-Party Browsers on Mac
You may also try using other third-party browsers on Mac. You may find a downloadable version of this on your Mac, saving you time and effort. Some third-party browsers for Mac include Google, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi, and Brave.
Download Internet Explorer 6 For Mac
Now You Know How to Install Internet Explorer for Mac
Are you a Mac user looking to try Internet Explorer? Now you know how to use Internet Explorer for Mac! Try these methods to use IE on your Mac device and reap the benefits of using an old but diverse browser.
Thank you for reading! If you found this helpful, consider checking out some of our other Mac blog posts. We have more valuable guides for you to discover and get the most out of your Mac!
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