Internet Explorer is not compatible with Mac. You cannot download or install internet explorer browser, or pre-chromium edge browser in your mac machine. But what happens if you are a web developer or tester using mac machines, and have to run manual or automated end-to-end tests on IE.
What should you do?
Internet Explorer was the default browser for all Macs at the beginning of the internet in the late 1990s. Microsoft stopped developing IE for Mac in 2003 after Apple made Safari their default browser.
Unless you have Mac OS X 10.6 (or earlier), you won’t be able to install Internet Explorer on Mac. There is no way to install Internet Explorer directly on Mac. You should also avoid using Internet Explorer versions prior to 2003.
In this blog, you will get to know more about internet explorer and the necessary steps that will help you to use internet explorer on Mac.
All You Should Know About Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer is used widely today, but not uniformly. It is not distributed evenly across the globe but is limited to a few places.
Many institutions like banks, software development companies, and warehouse management businesses continue to use Internet Explorer because of licensing concerns.
After the program is distributed to the banking infrastructure, it can be registered in a browser. To avoid unnecessary renewal fees and overheads, it is likely that additional software from the same organization will be registered in Internet Explorer.
A few other places, such as research papers, findings, and the like, require that the researcher register the software used in their research. Further research is required if the researcher is using Internet Explorer. Otherwise, the entire certification must be renewed with the latest findings.
Internet Explorer is not for everyone.
Internet Explorer was first released in 1995, and it was discontinued in 2022. After 27 years of software use, switching to another browser can be difficult with features that can confuse some users (especially the elderly), such as the grouping tabs. These people find Internet Explorer extremely comfortable for their Internet-based requirements.
These users could be potential customers who want to spend money on your product or use a website that helps them manage their inventory. It is important that they don’t find any issues in your app. They won’t switch to another website, but they will close it.
How Can You Use Internet Explorer On Mac?
It is not possible to launch Internet Explorer natively on Mac. However, there are several ways to emulate IE for Mac. You can mask Safari to different versions of Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge. Or, you can install a virtual machine that will launch IE for Mac. Or, you can simply use any third-party browser on macOS.
Simulate Internet Explorer On Mac With Safari
Internet Explorer is most often used for testing purposes. It can be used to test websites and web apps or access websites that require IE.
Safari could easily be used for both of these purposes. You can use Safari with Internet Explorer by turning on the developer tools.
i) Open Safari Browser, Go to Preferences > Advanced.
ii) Click “Show menu development in the menu bar.”
iii) You can now access the developer tools from Safari. It allows you to inspect websites, clear caches and, most importantly, simulate other browsers through Safari. You can use Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer on Mac.
iv) Navigate to Safari’s menu bar and select the Develop menu.
v) Navigate to User Agent, and choose the browser you want, such as Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer version, Google Chrome, Firefox or any other Internet Explorer version.
Your browser will automatically be updated to reflect any changes made to the website. Switch back to your preferred browser.
Safari’s User Agent option should cover most reasons to use Internet Explorer on Mac. If you absolutely have to launch Internet Explorer for any reason, you can also use a virtual machine.
Easy Steps To Open Internet Explorer For Mac On Cloud With LambdaTest
Although the method described in the previous section works well, it takes too much time and requires too little memory. Imagine if the cloud could handle all of this manual work, and we could just “select-and test”?
Cloud-based cross-browser testing platforms such as LambdaTest accomplish exactly that. It offers an online browser farm to perform automation testing with 3000+ browsers, OS combinations and already installed to users. Within seconds, you can select your operating system, browser version, and resolution that will render the website.
LambdaTest has many other features, including screenshot sharing and sharing, recording video sessions and generating detailed reports. Marking bugs with text will help you finish testing quicker and share it with your team.
LambdaTest is compatible with all OS-browser combinations, but it can also serve as an IE tester on Mac. To keep with the post theme, we’ll be using LambdaTest for macOS with Internet Explorer.
i) To open Internet Explorer on macOS, register for free on the LambdaTest platform.
ii) Go to Real-Time Testing.
iii) Enter the test URL, and choose the browser like Internet Explorer (IE), browser version, and operating system.
iv) Then press START to render the website on the selected configuration.
Next, you will see IE running with a live interactive session. This allows you to test your system as if it were local.
This method is simple, fast and can be used to publish or unpublished websites. This process does not consume additional primary memory. Users only need a web browser and a good internet connectivity.
You can use LambdaTest to test alongside your development if you’re working on a shift left-testing methodology.
Wrapping Up
Microsoft ended Internet Explorer in 2020. The browser will be officially retired June 30, 2022. This decision is a good one. Microsoft Edge has been able to provide a stable and reliable browser and we believe it’s the right thing.
Edge can be installed on your Mac to provide a seamless experience across all your Mac and Windows platforms. You can do the same thing with Safari, Chrome, Firefox and Firefox–all of these browsers offer cross-platform support.
While the world is moving towards Microsoft Edge, there are still many Internet Explorer users who cannot be ignored. We hope this article will help you to install Internet Explorer on Mac.
