Microsoft Edge is the latest web browser from Microsoft, replacing Internet Explorer on the latest versions of Windows for PCs, Surface, and Windows Phone.
This article will focus on using a virtual machine to test and run the Microsoft Edge browser on Mac OS X. At this time, this is the only way to run the Edge browser on a Mac without using Boot Camp or installing Windows 10 on Mac OS X.
In the end, Microsoft Edge will be available through Azure, similar to how OS X users can run Internet Explorer 11 on Mac through Microsoft Remote Desktop. However, below is the method using a virtual machine to run Edge browser on Mac.
Running Microsoft Edge Browser on Mac OS X
Running Microsoft Edge browser on Mac OS X will be smoother if run on newer Macs with large RAM. To run Microsoft Edge browser on Mac OS X, what you need is VirtualBox and MS Edge Virtual Machine compatible with Windows 10:
Step 1: Download VirtualBox and install it on your Mac here: Download VirtualBox for Mac
Step 2: Visit the Windows VM homepage HERE, then navigate to the Mac tab.
Step 3: Choose MSEdge for Win10 from the dropdown menu, then select the Download .zip button to download the file. This file has a size of about 5GB, and the download time may vary depending on your Internet connection speed.
Step 4: After the MS Edge Virtual Machine zip file is downloaded (the file may be located in the ~/Downloads/ folder), open the zip file in Unarchiver to extract the contents. Then, double-click the disk image virtual machine to open it in VirtualBox.
Step 5: In the Appliance Settings window in VirtualBox, click on the Import button to import Windows 10 and Microsoft Edge Virtual Machine into VirtualBox. These files will occupy about 11GB of space.
Step 6: After the import process is complete, the VM VirtualBox Manager window will appear. Here, select the IE 11 - Win10 option on the left-hand side (referred to as IE 11 but actually Microsoft Edge), then click the Start button.
Step 7: Wait for the Microsoft Edge Virtual Machine to finish loading. You will receive a notification on the Windows virtual machine screen indicating that Edge browser is ready to use.
And there you have it! You can now utilize the Edge browser on your Mac.
Your Mac is running a complete Microsoft environment on a Windows virtual machine, equipped with all the features necessary to run Microsoft Edge on Mac OS X, allowing you to access the web as usual.
The complete Microsoft Edge Developer Tools are also available, which is why many Mac users access virtual machines (VMs) to use the Edge browser.
Furthermore, you can exit and shut down the virtual machine whenever you want to start normally or create a saved state if you wish to return to the exact position you left off in the VM.
Running a Windows virtual machine has some benefits when using Remote Desktop to run Internet Explorer, including offline access. However, the drawback of this method is that it consumes many system resources, and the virtual machine occupies approximately 11GB of free space.
However, this method is primarily intended for developers, designers, or individuals needing to use the MS Edge browser to access specific websites. Alternatively, you can run Windows 10 directly on Mac hardware as if it were a Mac rather than a virtual machine running Windows on OS X using Boot Camp.
To prevent MSEdge for Win10 zip files from turning into cpgz, it's best to use Unarchiver for extraction. Additionally, Unarchiver boasts extensive compatibility for decompressing various file formats, making it an excellent decompression tool for Mac users.
Using Edge on Mac, you can refer to Edge shortcuts to expedite browser operations. A compiled list of Edge shortcuts will help you grasp them quickly.
While Mac users have plentiful browser options and aren't required to access or use Microsoft Edge, there may be instances where running Microsoft Edge on Mac OS X is necessary. Follow the steps outlined by Mytour above if needed. Best of luck!