You cannot enable, install, or download the retired standalone Internet Explorer desktop browser for normal use in Windows 11. If an older website requires Internet Explorer, Microsoft’s supported solution is Internet Explorer mode in Microsoft Edge. Open Edge, go to Settings > Default browser, allow sites to be reloaded in Internet Explorer mode, restart Edge, and then add the legacy site under Internet Explorer mode pages.
These steps cover the current version of Microsoft Edge on Windows 11, Edge 141 or later on a personal PC. Windows 10 uses the same Edge settings, but Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025. IE mode is a Windows feature, so it isn’t available in Edge on a Mac, iPhone or Android device.
Can You Enable Internet Explorer in Windows 11?
Not as the old standalone Internet Explorer desktop browser. Microsoft ended support for the Internet Explorer 11 desktop app on many versions of Windows on June 15, 2022, and says the app redirects to Microsoft Edge. Typing iexplore in the Run box or opening an old Internet Explorer shortcut opens Edge instead. Microsoft directs anyone who still needs legacy compatibility to Internet Explorer mode in Microsoft Edge. See Microsoft’s IE mode page for the current steps.
IE mode is designed for older websites and business applications that depend on Internet Explorer technologies. For ordinary browsing, use Microsoft Edge or another modern supported browser.
If you prefer another browser for everyday links, you can change the default browser in Windows 11 and still open Edge for sites that need IE mode.
What IE Mode Does
IE mode runs inside a normal Edge tab. Modern sites keep using Edge’s Chromium engine, while the sites you send to IE mode use the Trident (MSHTML) engine from Internet Explorer 11. Microsoft’s IE mode overview lists what this supports:
- All Internet Explorer document modes and enterprise modes.
- ActiveX controls, such as those older banking, camera, or business portals use.
- Browser Helper Objects and Internet Explorer security zone settings.
- Most Edge extensions, except ones that interact directly with the IE page.
Internet Explorer toolbars don’t work in IE mode, and the IE11 F12 developer tools are replaced by a separate tool called IEChooser.
How to Enable Internet Explorer Mode in Edge on Windows 11
Step 1: Open Microsoft Edge.
Launch Microsoft Edge on your Windows 11 PC. If Edge hasn’t updated in a while, update Microsoft Edge to the latest version first, because the steps below match Edge 141 and later.
Step 2: Open the Default browser settings.
Click the three-dot Settings and more button, choose Settings, and select Default browser. You can also type edge://settings/defaultBrowser in the Edge address bar.
Step 3: Allow Internet Explorer mode.
Under Internet Explorer compatibility, set Allow sites to be reloaded in Internet Explorer mode (IE mode) to Allow.
Step 4: Restart Edge.
Click the Restart button that appears after you change the setting so the new compatibility setting takes effect. The Internet Explorer mode pages section shows up after the restart. If no button appears, see how to restart Microsoft Edge for the other ways to close and reopen the browser.
Step 5: Add the legacy website.
Return to Default browser. Next to Internet Explorer mode pages, select Add a page (some versions label it Add), enter the legacy site’s address, and select Add. The page appears in the list with the date it was added.
Step 6: Open or reload the site.
Go to the site, or reload it if it’s already open. It now loads in IE mode, and an Internet Explorer logo appears to the left of the address bar.
Microsoft’s local site list documentation says pages you add stay on the list for 30 days. On day 31, Edge shows a banner telling you the page will no longer open in IE mode, and you can add it again. The list doesn’t sync to your other devices, so add the page on each PC that needs it.
Other Ways to Open a Page in IE Mode
Depending on how Edge is set up, you may also see these commands. Microsoft documents them for work and school devices where the organization allows reloading, so a personal PC on Edge 141 or later may only offer the page list above.
- Settings and more > Reload in Internet Explorer mode on an open page.
- Right-click a tab and choose Reload tab in Internet Explorer mode.
- Right-click a link and choose Open link in new Internet Explorer mode tab.
- A toolbar button, which you can show or hide from edge://settings/appearance.
How to Tell If a Website Is Using IE Mode
When a page is loaded in Internet Explorer mode, Edge shows an Internet Explorer logo on the left side of the address bar, and a bar at the top of the page says the page is open in Internet Explorer mode. Select the logo for more details. Its panel includes an Open the page in Internet Explorer mode next time toggle, which adds or removes the page from your list.
Why Is “Reload in Internet Explorer Mode” Missing?
On a personal PC, Microsoft’s IE mode page says Edge 141 and later uses the Internet Explorer mode pages list instead of a reload command. The Reload in Internet Explorer mode command appears on work or school devices where the organization has set it up through policy.
- Check edge://settings/defaultBrowser for the current Internet Explorer compatibility controls.
- On a personal PC, select Add a page next to Internet Explorer mode pages and enter the legacy site’s address.
- On a work or school PC, contact the administrator if IE-mode controls are missing or locked.
- Update Edge: go to Settings > About Microsoft Edge, let it install any update, restart Edge, and check again.
If IE Mode Doesn’t Work
- The setting is grayed out. Your organization manages Edge. Type edge://policy to see the policies that apply, and ask IT to add the site to its list.
- The page won’t load in IE mode at all. Install all Windows updates and Edge updates, then restart. Microsoft warns that IE mode will likely fail without current updates. Type edge://compat/iediagnostic to see which requirement Edge reports as missing, and check that Internet Explorer mode is still listed under Settings > System > Optional features.
- “The connection for this site is not secure.” Microsoft explains that this happens when a legacy site uses TLS 1.0 or 1.1, older security protocols that Edge turns off by default. The site’s owner needs to update it. Don’t lower Edge’s security settings to get around the message.
- The site opened in IE mode once but not today. Its 30 days probably ran out. Add it again under Internet Explorer mode pages.
- The page loads but still looks broken. Some IE features, such as toolbars, aren’t supported. Contact the site’s owner and ask whether a modern version exists.
Can You Install or Download Internet Explorer 11 on Windows 11?
For normal Windows 11 use, downloading an old Internet Explorer installer is not the supported solution. The standalone Internet Explorer desktop application has been retired, and Microsoft directs legacy-site compatibility needs to IE mode in Edge.
Avoid third-party websites that claim to provide Internet Explorer downloads for Windows 11, and skip scripts or shortcuts that claim to launch the old browser. Internet Explorer gets no security updates, so running it outside IE mode puts your PC at risk. If your goal is to use an old website that requires IE, configure Edge IE mode instead.
How to Leave Internet Explorer Mode
To go back to normal Edge browsing for a page, select Leave on the Internet Explorer mode information bar at the top of the page, or close the tab and open the site in a new tab. Microsoft’s IE mode page describes both options.
If you added the site yourself, it keeps opening in IE mode until its 30 days run out. To stop that sooner, go to Settings > Default browser, find the site under Internet Explorer mode pages, and select the delete (trash can) icon next to it.
To turn IE mode off completely, remove every page from the list, set Allow sites to be reloaded in Internet Explorer mode (IE mode) to Don’t allow, and restart Edge. Choose Don’t allow rather than Default, because Microsoft says the default can still offer IE mode on PCs that used Internet Explorer recently.
IE Mode on Work and School Computers
Organizations can centrally manage Internet Explorer mode in Microsoft Edge. An administrator may control which legacy sites open in IE mode, whether users can reload sites manually, and how long pages stay on the local list.
IT teams usually set this up with the Configure Internet Explorer integration policy and an Enterprise Mode Site List, an XML file that names the sites that should open in IE mode. Sites on that list don’t expire after 30 days. Microsoft’s IE mode overview covers the setup for administrators.
If Edge says that your browser is managed by your organization or the IE-mode settings are unavailable, follow your organization’s instructions rather than trying to bypass those policies.
Is Internet Explorer Mode Going Away?
Internet Explorer itself is retired, but Microsoft has committed to supporting Internet Explorer mode in Microsoft Edge through at least 2029 on supported versions of Windows. Microsoft says it will give at least one year of notice before IE mode is retired, so plan to move important legacy sites to modern versions before then.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Windows 11 include Internet Explorer?
Windows 11 does not provide the old standalone Internet Explorer desktop browser for normal browsing. Microsoft Edge includes IE mode for supported legacy-site compatibility.
Is IE mode the same as Internet Explorer?
No. You remain inside Microsoft Edge, but IE mode uses Internet Explorer compatibility technology for legacy sites that require it.
Is IE mode safe to use?
Use it only for sites you trust that genuinely need it, such as an old company portal or a device’s setup page. Older pages and ActiveX controls carry more risk than modern sites, so browse everything else in a regular Edge tab.
Can I make every website open in IE mode?
IE mode is intended for legacy compatibility, not everyday web browsing. Use regular Edge mode for modern websites and limit IE mode to sites that actually require it.
What should I do if IE mode is controlled by my organization?
Contact your workplace or school administrator. Enterprise IE-mode settings can be managed centrally, so the controls available on a personal Windows 11 PC may not appear on a managed device.
Related Edge guides: how to clear the cache in Edge and how to make Google the default search in Edge.
If an old site in IE mode still won’t load properly, see how to add trusted sites in Edge on Windows 11.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are checked step by step against the device or app maker’s own documentation and tested on his own devices whenever he has the hardware or software, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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