You can’t open Internet Explorer as a separate browser in Windows 11. Microsoft retired it in 2022, and opening it sends you to Microsoft Edge. To use a website that only works in Internet Explorer, use Internet Explorer mode in Edge. Go to Settings and more (…) > Settings > Default browser, and next to Internet Explorer mode pages, select Add and enter the site’s address. Then reload the page, and it opens with Internet Explorer’s technology inside Edge.
Applies to: Windows 11 and Microsoft Edge. No downloads needed. Checked against Microsoft Support on September 30, 2026.
What happened to Internet Explorer?
Microsoft ended support for the Internet Explorer 11 desktop app on June 15, 2022, and Windows 11 doesn’t include it as a browser you can open. If you search for it or try to start it, Microsoft Edge opens instead.
Some older websites, often internal company sites, government forms or older banking and business systems, were built for Internet Explorer and don’t work properly in modern browsers. For those, Microsoft built Internet Explorer mode (IE mode) into Edge. It loads the page using Internet Explorer’s engine, inside an Edge tab.
Method 1: Add a site to Internet Explorer mode pages
Microsoft’s steps for home PCs with a recent version of Edge:
- Open Microsoft Edge.
- Select Settings and more (…) in the top-right corner, then Settings.
- Select Default browser in the left pane. You can also type edge://settings/defaultBrowser in the address bar and press Enter.
- Next to Allow sites to be reloaded in Internet Explorer mode (IE mode), choose Allow, then select Restart if Edge asks.
- Next to Internet Explorer mode pages, select Add.
- Type or paste the full address of the page, including https://, and select Add.
- Go to the page, or reload it if it’s already open.
The page opens in IE mode. You’ll see the Internet Explorer logo at the left end of the address bar, and a bar at the top of the page telling you it’s open in Internet Explorer mode.
Pages you add stay in the list for 30 days, then drop off. If you still need the site after that, add it again.
Method 2: Reload a page in Internet Explorer mode (older Edge or work PCs)
On older versions of Edge, and on some work PCs, you can reload any open page in IE mode without adding it first:
- Turn on Allow as in steps 1 to 4 above, and restart Edge.
- Go to the website.
- Select Settings and more (…) > Reload in Internet Explorer mode. You can also right-click the tab and select Reload tab in Internet Explorer mode.
For home PCs with Edge version 141 or later, Microsoft’s steps use the Internet Explorer mode pages list in Method 1 instead. If you don’t see Reload in Internet Explorer mode, use Method 1.
Leave Internet Explorer mode
Select Leave on the information bar at the top of the page, or close the tab and open the site in a new tab. To stop a site opening in IE mode every time, go back to Settings > Default browser and select Remove next to it under Internet Explorer mode pages.
Work and school PCs
If your organization manages your PC, IE mode may already be set up for the sites you need, and those sites open in IE mode automatically. The Allow option may be grayed out, or the Reload in Internet Explorer mode option may be missing, because your IT department controls it. Ask them to add the site you need.
If a site still doesn’t work
- The site says you need Internet Explorer. Make sure you see the Internet Explorer logo in the address bar. If not, add the site again in Internet Explorer mode pages and reload.
- You don’t see Internet Explorer mode pages. Update Edge: select Settings and more > Help and feedback > About Microsoft Edge, and Edge checks for updates.
- The site worked yesterday but not today. The 30 days may have passed. Add the page again.
- The page still looks broken in IE mode. Some sites only work with specific older settings, or need an add-on that no longer runs. Contact the site’s owner and ask whether there’s a newer version of the site.
- The site needs Java or ActiveX controls. Many old plug-ins no longer work at all. The site’s owner needs to update it.
Why not force the old Internet Explorer to open?
You’ll find guides with tricks to start the old Internet Explorer app, such as special shortcuts, scripts or Internet Options links. We don’t recommend them. Internet Explorer no longer gets security updates, Microsoft can close these tricks at any time, and IE mode in Edge does the same job more safely.
Only use IE mode for the specific sites that need it. For everything else, browse normally in Edge or another up-to-date browser.
Frequently asked questions
Is Internet Explorer still in Windows 11?
Parts of its engine are, which is how IE mode works, but the Internet Explorer browser itself can’t be used. Edge opens instead.
Is IE mode safe?
It’s safer than the old browser, because it runs inside Edge, which gets security updates. Still, only use it for the sites that need it.
Can I make Edge always open a site in IE mode?
On a home PC, add the site to Internet Explorer mode pages, and re-add it every 30 days. On a work PC, your IT department can set it up permanently.
Does IE mode work in Chrome or Firefox?
No. Internet Explorer mode is only in Microsoft Edge.
How do I make Edge my default browser?
See how to change the default browser in Windows 11.
Next steps
Using Windows 10? See how to disable or uninstall Internet Explorer on Windows 10. Microsoft explains the steps in Internet Explorer mode in Microsoft Edge.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.