Member Avatar for mnewsome

Just got one as a gift. One use I might have for it if it can run internet explorer on it. Looking for an informed opinion if such a thing is possible.

Edited by mnewsome because: n/a
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Short answer for : you cannot run the native Internet Explorer (the Trident/IE engine) on an iPad. iPadOS requires browser apps to use Apple’s WebKit engine (so third‑party apps can’t ship the IE engine), and Microsoft has retired the Internet Explorer desktop app — legacy compatibility is now handled on Windows via Edge’s IE mode. (This is current as of February 8, 2026.) (developer.apple.com)

That lines up with the early replies: was correct to say “no,” and ’s point about Opera Mini simply shows there are other browsers for iPad — but they all use WebKit on iPadOS, so they won’t behave like native IE. For practical use, the common workarounds are remote access or cloud testing rather than trying to run IE on the device itself. (developer.apple.com)

If you need interactive access to IE (debugging, installing ActiveX, etc.), RDP or a remote‑control app to a Windows machine is the cleanest solution — exactly what hinted at. Install the Microsoft Remote Desktop/Windows App on the iPad and connect to a Windows VM or PC, or use remote tools like TeamViewer/AnyDesk to view and control a Windows browser. Expect some latency and touch/UX limits while remote. (learn.microsoft.com)

If you only need visual or automated testing, cloud cross‑browser services stream real IE instances into your iPad browser (no install): BrowserStack and similar providers support IE6–IE11 and offer local‑tunnel features for private sites — ideal for a quick compatibility check without maintaining VMs. Quick rule of thumb:

  • For one‑off visual checks: use a cloud browser service.
  • For hands‑on debugging or legacy app use: RDP into a Windows machine and use Edge/IE mode there.
  • Remember: IE is retired and Edge’s IE mode runs on Windows only, so long‑term fixes should target modern browsers. (browserstack.com)

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Member Avatar for SarahRachel01

No You can't dude..

Member Avatar for crunchie

Can run Opera mini though.

Member Avatar for sDJh

I can't help thinking why on earth you wanna do that.

I'm debugging websites, so I can give you some advice. Visit . There you can render websites with old versions of the IE from any browser. As the output is an image it should (!) also word on an iPad.

Greetz, Simon

Member Avatar for jingda

I can't help thinking why on earth you wanna do that.

I'm debugging websites, so I can give you some advice. Visit . There you can render websites with old versions of the IE from any browser. As the output is an image it should (!) also word on an iPad.

Greetz, Simon

Maybe you would want to check the date the thread was last replied to next time:)

Edited by jingda because: n/a
Member Avatar for godflea

I am wondering why you need Internet Explorer on such a wonderful machine? :D Don't poison it.

If you are a web developer and you need to test CSS and stuff, there are some other tools for that.

Member Avatar for jbennet

Rdp to. Windows box?

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