How to use IE Mode to replace the recently discontinued Internet Explorer

With Windows 11, Microsoft has removed a number of outdated apps and features, including the long-hated Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer is an old and outdated browser, and Microsoft intended to remove IE completely. However, some proprietary apps and websites still require Internet Explorer functionality to run.

Internet Explorer has been a part of Windows since its debut with Windows 95 OSR1 in 1996. However, starting with Windows 11 , Internet Explorer will be phased out as the browser is being retired, replaced by Microsoft Edge Chromium. Even from June 15, 2022, Internet Explorer will also be discontinued on some popular versions of Windows 10.

For many users, the death of Internet Explorer will not affect them. But there are still some users who still use web services that depend on Internet Explorer.

Therefore, in this article, WebTech360 will guide you how to use Internet Explorer on Windows 11 as well as Windows 10 via IE mode built into Microsoft Edge and via extension.

Method 1: Enable IE Mode in Microsoft Edge

If you're looking for Internet Explorer as a standalone app (like it is in Windows 10), then unfortunately you won't find it. The only way to get Internet Explorer working on Windows 11 is to use Microsoft Edge in Internet Explorer Mode by following the steps below.

While Microsoft Edge is the default web browser, you can change it to Chrome, Firefox, or any other browser. If you find your Windows 11 PC is slow to boot, you can disable startup apps to speed up your boot time.

Microsoft understands that there are still users who rely on Internet Explorer for services. That's why the software giant has integrated a mode called IE Mode into the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser. In this mode, your website will load using Internet Explorer's compatibility technologies.

It’s rare to come across a site that’s not compatible with Edge, but some older government and educational sites still require Internet Explorer. With IE Mode in Edge, you can still use those older sites until Microsoft Edge support is added. It’s also worth noting that Microsoft has committed to supporting IE Mode in Edge until 2029, so this functionality will be around for a few years to come.

To enable IE Mode you need to do the following:

• Open Microsoft Edge
• Click the Settings and more button (3 horizontal dots) in the upper right corner of the browser

• Select Settings

• Click Default browser

• Under Internet Explorer compatibility , select Allow in Allow sites to be reloaded in Internet Explorer mode.

• Microsoft Edge will ask you to restart your browser to complete the installation.

Now, every time you visit a website that requires IE Mode, you can open Settings and More and then click Reload in Internet Explorer mode . Once you click the button, the page will reload in IE Mode.

You can also save pages to load in IE Mode so that they automatically open in IE Mode each time you visit them by clicking the Add button in the Internet Explorer mode pages section under Allow sites to be reloaded in Internet Explorer mode.

Method 2: Use IE Tab extension

IE Tab is an extension from Blackfish Software. It gives you the ability to access websites and services that depend on Internet Explorer right on your Chrome browser. The only drawback of this extension is that it is a paid extension and only supports Google Chrome.

Initially you can download and use it normally but at some point IE Tab will stop working, requiring you to pay to continue using it. The current price of IE Tab is 19 USD/1 user for a lifetime license.

How to install IE Tab as follows:

• You access IE Tab on the Chrome store at the following link
• IE Tab on Chrome Store
• Click Add to Chrome to install the extension

• Next you need to download and install IE Tab Helper by accessing the following link
• Download IE Tab Helper
• After installation, when you need to access a page using Internet Explorer, just access it on Chrome then click on the IE Tab icon and the page will be reloaded in Internet Explorer mode.

• You can also set up a list of pages that automatically load using Internet Explorer mode by clicking on the three-dot menu of the IE Tab extension then selecting Options then scrolling down to the Auto URLs section then entering the address in the dialog box then clicking Add.

Have you discovered other ways (or other programs) to open pages properly in full IE mode? If so, please leave your comments below!

Good luck!