A web browser is a software application that retrieves and displays web pages, acting as your gateway to the internet. When you open a browser and type a web address, the browser sends a request to the website's server, receives the necessary files, and renders them into the visual page you see.
What is a web browser?
A web browser is a software application that retrieves and displays web pages, acting as the user's gateway to the internet. It interprets code written in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to present text, images, videos, and interactive content. Without a browser, you would not be able to access websites or interact with online resources. Every time you open a browser, you are using a tool that simplifies navigating the internet through an intuitive graphical interface, supporting features like hyperlinks, bookmarks, and tabbed browsing, while ongoing innovation is focused on building a smarter, safer, and faster internet.
How a web browser works
When a user enters a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or clicks a hyperlink, the browser sends a request to the website's server. The process follows these steps:
- The browser first performs a Domain Name System (DNS) lookup to translate the domain name into the server's IP address.
- Information is transferred using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) or its secure version, HTTPS, which encrypts the connection.
- The server responds by sending back files, typically HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
- The browser's rendering engine interprets the HTML and CSS to construct and display the page layout.
- If the page contains JavaScript, the browser's JavaScript engine executes that code to enable interactivity.
This entire process happens in seconds, allowing you to view and interact with websites seamlessly. The rendering engine is responsible for turning raw code into the visual experience you see inside a browser window.
Built-in security features
Modern browsers protect users through several built-in security features. Secure connections (HTTPS) encrypt data transferred between your device and the website, preventing eavesdropping. Sandboxing runs each website in its own process to prevent malicious code from spreading to other tabs or your system. Private browsing modes do not save your browsing history, cookies, or form data after you close the session, giving you more control over your privacy. These features work together to create a safer browsing experience without requiring any extra setup from you.
The major web browsers today
Several major web browsers dominate the market, each with distinct technologies and strengths. Google Chrome, developed by Google, is a cross-platform browser based on the open-source Chromium project and primarily uses the Blink rendering engine (except on iOS, where it uses WebKit). Mozilla Firefox, developed by the Mozilla Foundation, is a free and open-source web browser that uses the Gecko rendering engine. Microsoft Edge, developed by Microsoft, replaced Internet Explorer and is based on the Chromium open-source project, using the Blink rendering engine (except on iOS/iPadOS, where it uses WebKit). Apple Safari, developed by Apple, is built into macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS, and uses Apple's open-source WebKit engine. Each browser offers a slightly different balance of speed, privacy features, customization options, and integration with its ecosystem.
Internet Explorer is retired
Internet Explorer (IE) is an outdated browser that Microsoft has officially retired and replaced with Microsoft Edge. IE lacks modern security and performance features, making it vulnerable to current web threats and unable to render many modern websites correctly. Users should avoid using Internet Explorer and instead use a current browser like Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Apple Safari for a secure and fast browsing experience.
