Microsoft Edge browser includes built-in support for Internet Explorer. As a result, it is now possible to load internal websites in Microsoft Edge. All you must do is enable Internet Explorer Mode in the new Microsoft Edge Chromium browser.
You have several ways to do it.
Enable IE Mode in Microsoft Edge vis Edge Settings
- Open Microsoft Edge on Windows 11/10.
- Click the Settings and More (ellipsis) button on the top-right corner.
- Select the Settings option.
- Click on Default browser on the left side.
- Under the “Internet Explorer compatibility” section, turn on the “Allow sites to be reloaded in Internet Explorer mode” toggle switch.
- Click the Restart button.
Enable Experimental Edge flag
Open the new Edge Chromium browser, copy-paste the following in the address bar and hit Enter:
edge://flags/#edge-internet-explorer-integration
Select IE mode for Enable IE integration setting.
Next, create a shortcut to Edge on your desktop, right-click on it, select properties and add the following parameter to the Target at the end:
--ie-mode-test
Click Apply > OK and restart Edge.
You will now see the Open sites in Internet Explorer mode, under Edge settings > More tools.
Read: How to use Internet Explorer in Windows 11
Enable Internet Explorer Mode in Microsoft Edge using Group Policy
Many enterprises worldwide continue to use Internet Explorer because it allows loading internal sites without a separate browser. All this is about to change with Microsoft’s new move. The need to switch back and forth or manage multiple browsers is eliminated.
You can enable IE mode in Edge as follows:
- Enable Group Policy setting
- Configure which sites should open in IE mode (2 Ways)
- Verify if a site is loading in IE mode
Before proceeding further, it is important to mention which Internet Explorer functionality in Edge supports. This include-
- All document modes and enterprise modes.
- ActiveX controls
- Browser Helper Objects
- Internet Explorer settings and Group Policies that affect the security zone settings and Protected Mode
- IEChooser
- Microsoft Edge extensions (Limited functionality).
1] Enable Group Policy setting
Go to this Microsoft document page and download and use the latest Microsoft Edge Policy Template.
Open Local Group Policy Editor. When GPEDIT opens, navigate to the following setting:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge
Thereafter, switch to the right-pane of the editor window and look for ‘Configure Internet Explorer integration’ setting.
Double-click the setting and select ‘Enabled’.
Once you check this option, go to ‘Options’ section and hit the drop-down arrow to list options. Select ‘Internet Explorer mode’ and press ‘OK’.
This action when confirmed will save the policy setting.
2] Configure which sites should open in IE mode (2 Ways)
There are two options for identifying which sites should open in IE mode:
- Configure sites on the Enterprise Site list (This option is recommended)
- Configure all Intranet sites.
Configure sites on the Enterprise Site list
You can configure specific sites to open in IE mode by using the following group policies
- Use the Enterprise Mode IE website list (Internet Explorer)
- Configure the Enterprise Mode Site List (Microsoft Edge Dev Channel, version 78 or later)
Use the Enterprise Mode IE website list policy
Create or re-use a Site List XML. You can have centralized control over Enterprise Mode by creating a single, global XML site list that specifies the websites to render in Enterprise Mode.
All sites that have the element <open-in>IE11</open-in> will now open in IE mode.
Open Group Policy Editor. Follow the same procedure as above i.e.:
Click Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Internet Explorer.
Here, double-click ‘Use the Enterprise Mode IE website list’ as seen in the screenshot above.
Select Enabled.
Under Options, type the location of website list. You can use one of the following locations:
- HTTPS location: https://localhost:8080/sites.xml (recommended)
- Local network file: \\network\shares\sites.xml
- Local file: file:///c:/Users/<user>/Documents/sites.xml
Once done, hit the ‘OK’ button to save these settings.
Configure the ‘Configure the Enterprise Mode Site List’ policy
Create or re-use a Site List XML (All sites that have the element <open-in>IE11</open-in> will now open in IE mode).
Open Group Policy Editor.
Then, follow the path as highlighted below.
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge.
Here, double-click ‘Configure the Enterprise Mode Site List’.
Thereafter, check the ‘Enabled’ circle.
Once done, under ‘Options’ field, type the location of website list. You can use one of the following locations:
- HTTPS location: https://localhost:8080/sites.xml (recommended)
- Local network file: \\network\shares\sites.xml
- Local file: file:///c:/Users/<user>/Documents/sites.xml
Click OK or Apply to save these settings.
Configure all Intranet sites
Open Local Group Policy Editor.
From the left sidebar menu choose ‘Computer Configuration’, under it expand the ‘Administrative Templates’ folder and select ‘Microsoft Edge’.
Look for the ‘Send all intranet sites to Internet Explorer’ setting.
When found, double-click it and then select ‘Enabled’.
Finally, click ‘OK’ or hit ‘Apply’ button to save the policy settings.
Please note that this Group Policy may be most appropriate for an organization that doesn’t currently deploy a custom site list but requires IE11 for most of its intranet sites. Also, this policy will be most effective when most of an organization’s legacy sites are in the Local Intranet Zone.
Read: How to add or remove Internet Explorer mode button on Edge toolbar
3] How to verify if a site is loading in IE mode
To verify whether a site is loading in IE mode, check whether the IE logo indicator is visible on the left side of the navigation bar. If you see it, it indicates that you have enabled Internet Explorer mode. You can click the IE logo indicator to display additional information.
For more information, you can visit see this Microsoft Document.
Internet Explorer mode was used to launch a document in this tab
The message “Internet Explorer mode was used to launch a document in this tab” indicates that Microsoft Edge is using its Internet Explorer mode to display a webpage or document that requires compatibility with older web technologies. This can appear if you try to open a file or webpage link directly or via an email link – eg. a .mht file.
Some older websites, apps, or document links (often internal company portals or legacy systems) still rely on Internet Explorer–specific features. Instead of failing to open, Edge automatically switches into IE mode for that tab and displays that notice so you’re aware. You don’t need to take any action.
How to reload webpage in Internet Explorer Mode in Microsoft Edge
You need to enable the Allow sites to be reloaded in the Internet Explorer mode option. Open Edge > Select Settings > More tools > Enable Reload in Internet Explorer mode.
