A web browser is a computer program that lets a person see what is happening on the internet. Whenever you go to a website you are using a web browser to view it, even if you don't know which one you are using.
The most common web browsers are Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Microsoft Edge. (You might also remember Internet Explorer, but in 2022 that old web browser is very out of date and people should not be using it anymore.)
Even though each one is a little different, every web browser can visit webpages, follow links to other webpages and save bookmarks to webpages so you can go back to them. Usually they keep track of which pages you have visited.
Computers often have a variety of web browsers installed so people can use the ones they are most accustomed to. Sometimes, though, a webpage doesn't work right in one browser so it's a good idea to try the same webpage in another.
In our Online Privacy Tools classes at the library we learn about how to use different web browsers and additional tools to try and safeguard our privacy, so we can use the internet without fear of being spied on.
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