FAQ Internet Browsers 101

Internet Browsers 101

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You are using an Internet Browser to see this page right now. The question is, are you using it as effectively as you would like? I know I wasn't before starting to research this thread.

Nearly all of this information applies all popular browsers including Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera, and Safari.

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Browser Anatomy

1. Tabs
2. Address bar containing the URL of the Web page you are viewing
3. Bookmark Bar
4. Add a Bookmark

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Keyboard & Mouse Shortcuts
Ctrl+Click on a Hyperlink
Command+Click on a Hyperlink

Opens a link in a new tab​

Ctrl-Tab (Keyboard tab key)
Ctrl-Tab (Keyboard tab key)

Cycle between tabs​

F5

Reloads or Refreshes the screen in case something changes — like when you are writing a reply and some else has posted while you are writing your Reply.​

Ctrl+F5

Refresh and reset the browser cache for the current page, the same as clicking on the Refresh icon on your Browser​

Ctrl+W
Command+W

Closes a Window or Browser Tab​

Command+0 returns to original size

Ctrl+Roll mouse wheel
Command+the Plus key

The zoom in or out, the same as clicking on the Magnify icon. Note that the icon doesn't display when your zoom ratio is 100%.​

Navigation

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Alt+Left Arrow
Command+Left Arrow

Back to previous page in Browser History​

Alt+Right Arrow
Command+Right Arrow

Forward next page in Browser History​

Ctrl+H
Command+Y

Browser History: Have you ever accidentally closed a Browser tab or window? Just open History and click the one you want.​

Space Bar
Space Bar

Scroll down: Have the browser page ever unexpectedly jumped up? Maybe you accidentally tapped the space bar.​

Shift+Space Bar
Shift+Space Bar

Scroll up​

Mouse Right-Click
Ctrl+Mouse-Click (if you have a one button mouse)

Open Context menu​

Ctrl+F
Command+F

Open the Browser's Find window to perform a text search on the current page​

Bookmarks
This is what almost 30 years of collecting Bookmarks looks like:

Trust me, I would be VERY unhappy if I lost them.

Thankfully, cloud-based storage is pretty common if you allow it. The other HUGE advantage is I can access these Bookmarks across all my computing devices and they are all updated automagically. You might have some legitimate privacy concerns since it is "possible" that some hacker or government might see them. My online life is guided by this principal:

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“ Never put anything on the Internet that you
wouldn't want to see on the front page of the
Wall Street Journal tomorrow — or worse, Google! ”

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OK, I buy from Amazon and do online banking, but I don't make it easy for them.

Browser's Spellchecker​

Most Internet browsers include an option for a spell checker and are usually "on" by default. Search your browser's help system if yours in not working. An add-on may be required. Example:

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Thanks to @tursiops for the heads up.

Related FAQ Threads:
Cut, Copy, & Paste

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Use Report to correct broken links, typos, or make suggestions.