What is a web browser?

A web browser is a program on your computer that allows you to access websites on the internet.

The web is written in a computer language called HTML (HyperText Markup Language). Browsers translate this so that we can read it easily.

There are many browsers available. If you're using a Windows PC,  your machine probably came with the browser Internet Explorer. If you are using an Apple Mac, you'll have been supplied with Safari. No matter which browser you're using, you'll find that they all do more or less the same job.

Here are the  most popular browsers:

• 
Internet Explorer (Microsoft)
• 
Safari (Apple)
• 
Firefox (Mozilla)
• 
Chrome (Google)


Browsers' benefits and key features

• They're free to download.
• You can have more than one on your computer.
• They all work in a similar way.
• They allow users to explore websites anywhere on the internet.
• Can be personalised by allowing users to add favourites or set a different home page (the first page that you see when you open your browser).