Definition: Web browser

The application program that serves as the on-ramp to the World Wide Web, which along with video streaming are the two major services on the Internet. In order to view a website, its address (URL), such as computerlanguage.com, is typed into the browser's search box, and the site's home page is retrieved. The home page includes links to other pages on the site as well as to pages on other sites (see hypertext). Browsers for smartphones are designed to accommodate the smaller screens (see mobile Web browser).

The Most Important Application Ever
No other software application provides the user with more possibilities than the Web browser. It is the pathway to a billion websites that inform and entertain and make available the good, bad, right and wrong and everything in between that the world has to offer.

Browsers Are Similar
All browsers store the URLs of frequently used pages (favorites), and tabs keep multiple pages open for quick access. See URL and tabbed browsing.

As of 2023, the most popular browsers are Chrome, Safari, Edge and Firefox. Opera is also popular, and there are lesser known favorites such as Brave and Vivaldi, each with its own personality. Internet Explorer always came with Windows until Edge superseded it.

All browsers can be set to stop third parties from tracking behavior and many have options to avoid ads. Every browser worth its salt supports Windows, Mac and mobiles, and all browsers can be enhanced with add-ons (see browser extension). See Edge browser, Opera browser, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Mozilla, Safari, Chrome browser, Brave browser and Vivaldi browser.

Browsers Execute Programs
Web pages are embedded with some amount of programming code, and some pages can contain full-blown programs like the ones users install in their own computers. Apps on Web pages can very often look like locally installed apps, although they typically have limited or no access to a user's locally stored data. See Web application.

Browsers follow the same standards and generally work the same, but not always. One browser can render a page slightly different than another or exhibit varying behavior. This was much more the case in the early days than today.

Web Browser History
In 1993, the Mosaic browser put the Web on the map, but by the mid-1990s, Netscape Navigator had 80% of the market. Vying for top spot, Netscape and Internet Explorer (IE) constantly added features that fragmented websites. In the early days, one often found sites with "Best Viewed in Netscape" or "Best Viewed in Internet Explorer." IE soon trumped Netscape but eventually lost market share to Google's Chrome browser. See World Wide Web, Mosaic, Internet Explorer, hyperlink, HTML and microbrowser.

The Browser Advantage

The advantage is huge! Instead of maintaining dozens of locally installed applications, the IT support staff only has to make sure users' browsers are kept up-to-date. However, in a typical office, there can be quite a few local apps that require support. See local application.