Internet Explorer: Using IE on the Start Screen

Lesson 7: Using IE on the Start Screen

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Using IE on the Start screen

Whereas most versions of Windows come with one version of Internet Explorer, Windows 8 comes with two versions: one for the Start screen (sometimes called the Metro version), and one for the Desktop. This lesson will focus on the Start screen app, which is only available for Windows 8. You can review previous lessons in this tutorial to learn more about the Desktop version.

The Start screen version of IE is designed to be easily used with a touch screen. As a result, some features are more difficult to use if you have a mouse-and-keyboard setup. If you're used to older versions of Internet Explorer, you'll also find that some features have been moved, like the address bar and tabs. This lesson will help you become familiar with the IE Start screen interface.

Getting started with IE:

To open IE, locate and select Internet Explorer on the Start screen. IE will appear.

Click the buttons in the interactive to become familiar with the IE Start screen interface.

The address bar

The Internet Explorer address bar allows you to navigate to websites and search the web. As you enter a search term or URL, the address bar will offer suggestions for webpages and search terms, which makes navigating faster and easier.

To use the address bar:

When you right-click anywhere on the screen, the address bar will open.

Navigating to a website: Type a URL in the address bar, then press Enter on your keyboard.
Searching the web: Type a search term in the address bar, then press Enter.
Suggestions: As you type in the address bar, suggestions will appear. You can click one to use a suggested address or search term.

If you don't want the browser to suggest search terms as you type, click Turn off suggestions from Microsoft.

Tabs and windows

Internet Explorer allows you to open multiple websites using tabs. You can also open websites in a new window to view different sites side by side.

To open a new tab:

Right-click anywhere in the screen to open the Tabs bar.
Select the New Tab button. You can also press Ctrl+T on your keyboard. A new tab will appear.
Type a URL in the address bar and press Enter, or select a frequently visited site to navigate to a new page.
The page will appear in the new tab.

To switch between tabs:

Right-click to open the Tabs bar, then select the desired tab.
The tab will be selected.

To close a tab:

Select the Close tab button on the desired tab in the Tabs bar.

To view two windows side by side:

Open the desired websites as tabs.
Right-click a tab, then select Open tab in new window.
The websites will appear side by side.

To open a link in a new window:

Right-click the desired link, then select Open link in new window.
The websites will appear side by side.

To close a window, click the top of the browser window and drag it to the bottom of the screen.

Favorites

If you find a website you'd like to visit later, you can add it to your favorites, which most browsers call bookmarks. You can also pin a site directly to the Start screen.

To add a favorite:

Right-click anywhere on the screen to open the address bar, then select the Favorites button. The Favorites toolbar will appear.
Select the Add to favorites button.
A dialog box will appear. Click the drop-down menu to select a folder for the website, then click Add to save the site as a favorite.

You can also press Ctrl+D on your keyboard to add a site to your favorites.

To pin a website:

When you pin a website, Internet Explorer will create a shortcut for it, which will appear on your Start screen. Unlike favorites, pinned websites don't require you to navigate to the browser to view them.

Navigate to the website you want to pin. Right-click, then select the Favorites button from the address bar menu.
The Favorites toolbar will appear. Select the Pin site button.
A dialog box will appear. Click Pin to Start.
The website will be pinned to the Start screen.

Privacy and security

Like all browsers, IE keeps a browsing history for the websites you visit. You may want to clear your browsing history periodically for the sake of privacy.

To delete browsing history:

Hover the mouse in the lower-right corner to access the Charms bar, then select Settings.
The Settings pane will appear on the right. Select Options.
The Internet Explorer settings will appear. Locate and click the Select button under History.
A dialog box will appear. Select the browsing data you want to delete, then click Delete.