RemoteIE Announcement: We are testing the latest version of Internet Explorer on Windows, Mac OS X, iOS and Android

Today we are pleased to announce a preview of our new tool - RemoteIE , available through Azure RemoteApp technology. This is a free service from Microsoft that will allow you to run the latest version of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 Technical Preview from your device on Windows, Mac OS X, iOS or Android, and without having to start a new operating system or a heavy virtual machine on the device.



In the future, this will be the recommended way to test the latest preview version of IE for developers not using Windows 10.
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To get started, simply log in to the remote.modern.ie website with your Microsoft account and follow the instructions for installing the Azure Remote App client for your platform.

Why did we do RemoteIE?

In June of this year, we announced the launch of the “IE Developer Channel,” an opportunity to get a fresh preview of Internet Explorer. From October 1, we started distributing the latest IE builds as part of the Windows 10 Technical Preview , in which the browser will receive automatic updates through the Windows Insider programs.

In addition, we started providing virtual machines with a stable version of IE on modern.IE .

We know that developers on Windows 7 also want to be able to test the latest builds of IE and that, in general, a wide community of developers would like to have access to builds of IE on other platforms. To address these needs efficiently and comprehensively, we made the RemoteIE over the Azure RemoteApp preview, as the next step in the evolution of the IE Dev Channel. Our goal is to provide a single, simple solution for previous versions of Windows and other platforms to make IE widely available for testing for all web developers and help make the web accessible for everyone.

How RemoteIE works

Azure RemoteApp Preview runs on the Windows Server Remote Desktop Services infrastructure, using Azure global reach and reliability. This service, launched as a preview in May, allows you to run Windows applications on multiple devices from the Azure cloud.

In turn, RemoteIE provides access to the latest build of Internet Explorer on the Technical Preview via Azure RemoteApp. With RemoteIE, you can test the latest build of IE directly from your device on Windows, Mac, Android or iOS. Once you install the RemoteApp client for your platform, within seconds you will be able to connect to IE running in the Azure cloud.

In the future, we will update the version of RemoteIE in accordance with the way the new builds of Windows 10 Technical Preview will be publicly released.

A few technical considerations:

• IE is the only available application, but it includes developer tools (F12)!
• Remote App requires Windows Server 2012 or a more recent version, so older versions will not be available (however, through F12 you can change the compatibility mode).
• Sessions are limited to save server resources. With a simple session for 10 minutes, it will be over. Also, no session can last more than 60 minutes - you will need to start a new one.
• The performance will not be exactly the same as with the native launch of IE (for example, there is no graphical acceleration). If you want to launch the browser natively, join the Windows Insider program or download the virtual machines with modern.IE.
• RemoteIE cannot open local sites or domains behind a firewall. Make sure you have a publicly available IP address or URL for the site under test.
• Since RemoteIE and Azure RemoteApp are in the preview state, there may be interruptions in the service.

Answers to other common questions can be found in our FAQ .

Tell us what you think.

By releasing the RemoteIE preview, we want to provide you with the opportunity to test fresh IE builds on other platforms through Azure RemoteApp. Please try and post your feedback. We’ll be happy to know what you’ve made up on @IEDevChat or through the UserVoice forums for the Internet Explorer platform or Azure RemoteApp .