How to Find Out What Browser I Am Using

Modern Web browsers pretty much all perform the same tasks and look pretty much alike. It's generally not even necessary to know what browser you're using to surf the Web, but on those occasions when you need to know, it may not be obvious. Fortunately, there are reliable visual cues for the major browsers that tell you which one you're using. You can zero in on the specific version you are running with a few well-placed mouse clicks or use an Internet tool to provide the information.

The lower-case blue "e" with a gold streak through it is the telltale logo for Internet Explorer. You'll see it on the left side of the address bar and each open tab. You'll also find it on your taskbar of open programs at the bottom of your Windows screen, unless you've repositioned or disabled it. The "About Internet Explorer" item on the "Help" menu will display an information box with details of your browser version and update status.

Three small horizontal lines stacked one on the other in the upper right of your browser is the entry point for information about the Google Chrome browser. Hovering over the lines displays "Customize and control Google Chrome." Click the symbol to open a menu with an "About Google Chrome" option. Click this to display your version number and give you the option to update your browser.

The Firefox logo, a brown-orange fox wrapped around a blue globe, is a favorite for many. However, the logo is not always visible in the spartan Firefox browser window. Clicking the three stacked horizontal lines (almost identical to the Google Chrome symbol) in the upper right of the window displays a menu of options. Click the "Help" function (a question mark symbol), then "About Firefox" to display version information.

Apple's Safari is visually the most distinctive of major browsers, with its red, yellow, green lights near the upper left corner, and the Apple logo on the Safari toolbar at the top of the screen. Click "Safari" on the toolbar, then "About Safari" for details on the browser version.

Your computer's list of programs, available on the Windows Start screen, shows you what browser programs you have installed on your machine. The Windows Task Manager shows you all programs currently running, including the browser you are using. Several sites on the Internet (see Resources) can automatically check and display your browser version.