aNewDomain.net — For awhile now, browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox and Safari have let you sync tabs among multiple computers and mobile devices. Finally, Internet Explorer has this feature, too. If you have Windows 8.1 and SkyDrive enabled, here’s how to sync IE 11 tabs among devices and PCs, provided they’re all running Windows 8.1.
Microsoft is late to the game with this feature, but if you regularly switch between a Microsoft Windows 8.1 PC and a Surface tablet, you’ll be glad the new feature is there.
According to a Microsoft blogger writing at Microsoft MSDN:
Syncing tabs and user settings in IE11 Preview on Windows 8.1 Preview enable(s) your users to seamlessly view and interact with your site across their devices. IE11 Preview’s new syncing features on Windows 8.1 Preview are designed with device-switching in mind. When a user leaves a device, all open tabs … except for InPrivate Browsing tabs … are synced using Microsoft SkyDrive servers … so they are readily available when the user opens Internet Explorer on another device.”
How To Sync IE 11 Tabs in Windows 8.1. — For tab syncing to work, you need two or more devices that are running Windows 8.1. You also need to be signed in to each of those machines with the same Microsoft account.
All following screenshot image credits: Brian Burgess
Then you have to enable the feature. To do so, first tap Settings on the Charms bar and then select Change PC settings.
On the left menu of the PC Settings screen, select SkyDrive.
Look at the right side of the screen you see now. Under Sync, you see Turn on Sync settings on this PC. Do it.
Scroll down. Under Other settings, turn on: My favorites, open tabs, home pages, history and settings.
Do this on each system you own that’s running Windows 8.1. Remember that you need to be signed in with the same Microsoft account for this to work.
How to Use Tab Syncing in IE 11 in Windows 8.1
Using the tab syncing feature in IE 11 in Windows 8.1 is easy.
Once you’ve set up the system as I described above, all you have to do is launch IE 11. Right click anywhere on the page to see all open tabs on your system — and a full list of other Windows 8.1 devices you’ve enabled.
Check out my screen below to see an example of how I’ve checked tabs to sync in IE 11 between my Windows 8.1 laptop and my Microsoft Surface RT laptop.
And that’s how to sync IE 11 tabs among Windows 8.1 computers and devices. For aNewDomain.net, I’m the How To gallery editorial specialist, Brian Burgess.
Based in Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, Brian Burgess is a tech pro and journalist renowned for his work at HowToGeek.com. He served as executive editor at teamBYTE and these days he is editor-in-chief at GroovyPost. He is the How To gallery captain here on aNewDomain.net. Email him at Brian@aNewDomain.net or Brian@Groovypost.com and find him on Google + and on Twitter as @mysticgeek.
