A browser is a tool that allows you to look at pages on the internet. There are five major browsers: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple's Safari, and Microsoft Edge. They all work in similar ways, though some browsers are better for some tools than others. Goodwin University recommends Firefox and Chrome.
The top section of each browser has the address bar and navigation tools. Type a search into the address bar as you would into Google, or type the web address in to go to that page directly. Use the back button to back to the last page you visited. Click the reload button to load the page again. Click the new tab button to open a new browser tab--which can show another page. And click the close tab button to close that tab. These buttons are similar in all browsers. Below is an example from Firefox.
To get around on the internet, you can either use the search function in the address bar (see above), enter the location, or follow links. Links are text or pictures that take you to another web page or a file on the web. They will sometimes be a different color, turn a different color when your mouse pointer is on them, or be underlined.
To open a link in a new tab, new window, or do other things like copy the link or bookmark it, right click (on a Mac, you would click and hold) on the link.
To save a file, right click on the link to the file and choose "Save file as." This option should be similar in most browsers.
Once you have done that, you will see a box that asks you to save the file in a certain place. Choose where you want to save the file. You can choose the computer desktop, your Documents folder, or a flash drive (usually labeled E:\). Be sure to remember where you put your file!
