What is a web browser?
A web browser, or simply browser, is the computer program you use to view, or browse, websites. Web browsers also allow you to store a history of the websites you have visited and a list of your favourite sites to make it quicker to return to them.
Popular web browsers include Microsoft Internet Explorer 
, Firefox , Netscape Navigator , Opera and Safari . All of these programs read the code (HTML) in web pages and display the pages on your computer monitor so you can read them.
Sometimes, websites look different in different web browsers. The text may appear larger or smaller, or the words and pictures may be placed in different parts of the page. This may be caused by having an older version of a browser. As web browsers are regularly updated with new features it's important to make sure you update to the latest version to access all the great content on the web.
Using your web browser
Web browsers usually have a toolbar at the top. This is a special area containing buttons for controlling how you view, find and save web pages.
We’ve provided an explanation of the toolbar in Microsoft Internet Explorer , as it is the world’s most commonly used web browser.
Other browsers provide similar controls; however, the icon images and button names vary.
This is the standard toolbar used in Microsoft Internet Explorer.
| Back | Lets you move to the last web page you were looking at. |
| Forward | Used if you have used the Back button, Forward lets you move forward to the page you were looking at before the last time you pressed Back. |
| Stop | Stops loading the current web page, which means that the page may appear half finished – usually missing pictures – or not appear at all. Its most common use is for when you accidentally clicked on a link and don't want to load a particular page. |
| Refresh | Reloads the webpage you are currently viewing. |
| Home | Loads the webpage that appears when you start your web browser. |
| Search | Lets you search for websites in the world-wide-web using a search engine. |
| Favourites | Makes a list appear of your favourite web pages. You can add new and remove web pages from this list using the web browser menu. |
| Media | Lets you play videos or listen to music from the internet. |
| History | Makes a list of web pages you have visited in the past appear. You can set how long your web browser remembers past web pages in the tools or options menu. |
| Mail | If your email software is recognised by your web browser, this lets you send and view emails. |
| Print | Lets you print the webpage you are viewing. Learn more about printing web pages. |
Changing how web pages appear in your web browser
Most web browsers allow you to change the way web pages appear so you can view websites more easily. Things like changing the text size, colours or whether pictures appear can be controlled.
In Microsoft Internet Explorer , you can change the size of text on the screen using the Text Size option in the View menu.
With Firefox you can totally rearrange websites by using the Greasemonkey plug-in.
Using latest version web browsers
The main benefits of using the latest version of a web browser are that it tends to be more secure, protecting you better from computer hackers and that websites using the latest technology can be viewed correctly on your computer.
More recently released web browser versions often include plug-ins such as Flash so you don't have to download them separately to watch videos or play games in websites.
Checking if you have the latest web browser version
To check that you have the latest version of your web browser, visit the web browser's website or use the built-in upgrade tool, usually found in the browser's help menu, to check whether you have the latest version or to get a more updated version.