Buzz
Running Internet Explorer 11 directly on Mac without accessing a Windows computer or starting a virtual machine is quite useful for web developers in general and web designers in particular. However, Mac users can use IE 11 to access a specific web service or website that requires IE 11.
Regardless of the reason, whether it's for work or personal use, Mytour will guide you through the simplest way to use Internet Explorer 11 browser on Mac OS X as well as how to update the latest IE 11 versions.
This guide utilizes Microsoft's free Internet service called Modern IE, leveraging Remote Desktop to access Windows Internet Explorer 11 on a Mac running OS X.
Clearly, this method relies on a Remote-based Internet service. However, if you're seeking an offline solution, it's best to run IE in a virtual machine.
Using Internet Explorer 11 on Mac OS X with IE Tech Preview
Implementing this approach allows running IE 11 on any OS X version compatible with Remote Desktop. This guide applies to OS X El Capitan, but it can be adapted for Mavericks, Yosemite, Snow Leopard, and beyond.
Step 1: Go to Modern.IE HERE
Step 2: Open the Microsoft Remote Desktop app you just downloaded.
Step 3: Click on Azure RemoteApp on the Azure RemoteApp toolbar.
Step 4: Next, log in to your Microsoft account to authenticate, and accept the invitation to use Internet Explorer.
Step 5: In the Internet Explorer section, double-click on IE Tech Preview (or alternatively select IE Tech Preview and click the Start button).
Step 6: Wait for about 1 or 2 minutes for Internet Explorer 11 to load. At this point, a new IE 11 window with a user interface similar to Windows will appear on your Mac screen.
Now you can use Internet Explorer 11 on Mac just like on Windows. You can browse the web normally as you would use IE 11 on Windows.
Always keep the latest version of Internet Explorer updated on Mac OS X
The IE 11 web browser version will automatically update if updates are available. You don't need to do anything to update the IE version or change the software. Each time you connect to IE Tech Preview, the latest IE 11 version will be automatically downloaded.
Access full Internet Explorer Developer tools on Mac
For developers and designers, applying this method to run Internet Explorer 11 also provides full access to IE Developer tools, making it easier to fix specific issues or bugs on IE with HTML, CSS, Javascript, or whatever you're working on.
You can even launch the Web Inspector tool in a separate IE window, which is useful in case of a large screen or multiple screen setups.
For subsequent launches and whenever you want to run Internet Explorer again, simply open the Remote Desktop app, access the Azure section, and initiate the Remote IE configuration once more.
Additionally, you need to refresh the certificate by verifying your Microsoft login credentials.
If you're wondering how the above steps work, it's similar to using VNC or Screen Sharing between 2 Macs. You're accessing a remote session (hosted by Microsoft in this case) except instead of accessing the entire computer, you're provided with the Internet Explorer web browser.
Using Internet Explorer 11 on Mac is quick and quite impressive, especially if you have limited reliable internet bandwidth. Although Internet Explorer 11 operates smoothly on Mac, if the Mac has a reliable internet connection, the browser will not work in offline mode because it's not actually installed Internet Explorer on the Mac and also does not download Internet Explorer on Mac.
If you need a solution that works both online and offline, using a free VM (Virtual Machine) running IE on VirtualBox is still a great option. IE is loaded into a virtual machine on Mac. However, for most users for testing purposes, having a complete virtual machine is not necessary as they can employ this remote approach as an alternative.
