Which browser do you use?

It's often useful to know which browser you're using, and it's very easy to find out.

There are lots of reasons why you might need to know what browser you're using – besides the fact that it's just a good idea to know what you're doing! Sometimes you might visit a website and it says “this is best viewed on xxxx”… all good websites should work on all modern browsers but some websites that are really advanced (and maybe trying to prove a point!) may point out that old browsers aren't capable of displaying them correctly. Sometimes a manufactuer of a browser may release an update for a problem with a particular browser version. If you're getting your own website developed and you have a problem with it, then your web developer may need to know what browser you're using so they can test it on that browser to see exactly what you're seeing.

Each browser has a different icon or logo that you click on to open it. Below are some popular mainstream browser logos. If you click on a blue "e" to get online, then you're using Internet Explorer; an orange fox is Firefox; a green, yellow and red circle with a blue middle is Chrome and a compass is Safari.

Browser logos

However, knowing which make of browser you're using isn't always enough – because they can vary so much between editions. If you're reporting an issue to a web developer you will need to tell them what version of the browser you're using - e.g. "Internet Explorer v. 11".

There's usually a menu option somewhere on your browser that says "About [name of browser]" – on a PC this is often found under the Help menu you can see when you've got the browser open (or on Chrome under the spanner icon), and on a Mac it's under the menu option that's just the name of the browser (after the apple icon and before File). If you'd like to follow some screenshots to help you find the browser you're using, you can read a tutorial on 18a Productions' website (opens in a new window). There are lots of screenshots there so I won't clutter the web by repeating it all here!

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