Today, we’re excited to announce the preview availability of RemoteIE via Azure RemoteApp. This is a free service from Microsoft that allows you to run the latest version of Internet Explorer on the Windows 10 Technical Preview from your Windows, Mac OS X, iOS or Android devices, without the need to run a new OS or heavyweight virtual machine on your device. Going forward, this will be the recommended way for developers who are not running Windows 10 to test the latest IE preview versions.
To get started, simply sign up at https://remote.modern.ie with your Microsoft account and follow the directions to download the Azure RemoteApp client for your platform.
IE on Mac OS X... | Android... |
iOS... | and Windows 7! |
Why build RemoteIE?
In June of this year, we announced the IE developer channel as a way for developers to get the latest preview builds of IE. On October 1st, we began releasing the latest IE builds as part of the Windows 10 Technical Preview where it will receive automatic updates through the Windows Insider Program. In addition, we provide virtual machines running stable versions of IE on modern.IE.
We know that developers on Windows 7 want a way to test on the latest builds of IE and that the broader development community is eager to have the latest Internet Explorer available on other platforms. To address these needs comprehensively and efficiently, we built RemoteIE on top of the Azure RemoteApp preview as the latest evolution of the IE dev channel – bringing a single, low friction solution to Windows downlevel clients as well as cross-platform. Our goal is to make the latest IE widely available for testing to all Web developers, to help make the Web just work for everyone.
How RemoteIE works
The Azure RemoteApp preview builds on the Windows Server Remote Desktop Services infrastructure while also leveraging Azure’s global scale and utility-grade reliability. The service, released to preview in May, enables you to run Windows applications on a variety of devices from the Azure cloud.
RemoteIE provides access to the latest Internet Explorer on the Technical Preview via Azure RemoteApp. With RemoteIE, you can test the latest preview version of IE from your Windows, Mac, Android or iOS device. Once you’re set up with the RemoteApp client for your platform, you will be streaming IE from the Azure cloud within seconds.
Going forward, we will update the RemoteIE version in line with the latest Windows 10 Technical Preview as new builds are released publicly.
A few technical considerations:
- IE will be the only application available, though that includes the F12 Developer tools!
- Remote App requires Windows Server 2012 or newer so no older versions will be available (although you can use the F12 Developer tools to change the compatibility modes).
- Sessions are limited to conserve server resources. Sessions idle for 10 minutes will be logged out and no session can last more than 60 minutes – you’ll need to start a new session.
- Performance will not be the same as running IE natively (e.g. no GPU acceleration). If you want to run it natively join the Windows Insiders program to get the Windows 10 Technical Preview or download a VM from modern.IE.
- RemoteIE will not be able to navigate to local sites or domains behind a firewall. Be sure to have a publicly accessible IP address or URL to test with.
- Because RemoteIE and Azure RemoteApp are in preview, there may be service interruptions.
Please check the FAQ for answers to other common questions.
Let us know what you think
We’re excited to bring you the RemoteIE preview: a way to test Internet Explorer preview builds on other platforms via Azure RemoteApp. Please take it for a spin and let us know what you think via @IEDevChat or over in the UserVoice forums for Internet Explorer Platform or Azure RemoteApp.
— Anton Molleda (@molant), Program Manager, Internet Explorer