How to Download a Browser Without Using a Browser?

It sounds nearly impossible to download a browser without using a browser, but it’s actually easier than you might think. For instance, you can use the Microsoft Store to download your favorite web browser and start surfing seamlessly. There are several other ways to obtain a browser without using a browser, which we will explore in this article.

Downloading a web browser is one of the first things you do when you get a new PC or reset Windows. There are several browsers on the market today, such as Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Opera, Mozilla Firefox, and Brave, to name a few. However, on nearly all Windows PCs, Microsoft Edge comes as a built-in program. Nevertheless, you might need to add one or two more browsers.

Windows users prefer to download other browsers using in-built Microsoft Edge, but it doesn’t work for everyone or one might want to explore other possible ways to download a browser without using a browser. This article will focus on these methods and see which one will work for you. Let’s go!

What are the common Web browsers?

There are around 200 web browsers in the world, but only a portion of them are commonly used by Internet users. According to StatCounter, Google Chrome leads with a 62.55% market share, followed by Safari and Microsoft Edge at 19.95% and 5.13% respectively. The most common web browsers are:

• Google Chrome
• Apple Safari
• Microsoft Edge
• Mozilla Firefox
• Internet Explorer
• Brave
• Opera
• Samsung Internet Browser
• UC Browser
• DuckDuckGo
• Vivaldi

Let us look at how you can download one of these browsers without using a browser on your computer.

How Do I Download a Browser Without Using a Browser?

If you want to download a browser without using a browser, you can run different commands in Command Prompt and Windows PowerShell to download your favorite browser. One can also use scripts or third-party tools to download browser apps. Try the following methods:

1. Try Chocolatey: This is a third-party tool that works like APT in various Linux distributions. Chocolatey enables users to remove, update, or install programs. You can use this package manager to install your favorite browser using its feature: terminal commands.
2. Use Microsoft Store: You can use Microsoft Store which comes as an in-built app in Windows 11 and Windows 10. Previously, you couldn’t use the store to install web browsers, but things have changed. Since January 2022, users can now install various browser applications directly from the Microsoft Store without needing a pre-existing browser.
3. Use the Curl command: The Curl command is available in the most recent versions of Windows 10 and Windows 11, and can be run on Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell. This command is a cross-platform tool that you can use to make internet requests for downloading files and programs, similar to web browsers.
4. Use Invoke-WebRequest Windows PowerShell script:You can utilize Windows PowerShell to download browser files from the Internet without using a Web browser. One of the easiest methods is to execute the Invoke-WebRequest Windows PowerShell script. The primary requirement to successfully run this script is to possess the browser download link.
5. Try the Winget command: If you have Windows 10 v1809 or newer versions, or Windows 11, you can quickly run the Winget command using Windows PowerShell or Command Prompt to obtain your preferred web browser. This only requires one command for the browser you want in order to get the program on your computer.

1. Try Chocolatey

1. Search for PowerShell in the Windows search box and open it as an administrator.
2. First, you need to enable the executable scripts by running the following command line:

   

   Set-ExecutionPolicy AllSigned

3. Next, install Chocolatey by running the command below:

   Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process -Force; [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol -bor 3072; iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://community.chocolatey.org/install.ps1'))

4. Finally, to download a Web browser using the installed Chocolatey, use the specific browser commands below:

   choco install googlechrome

   choco install firefox

   choco install opera

   choco install brave

   choco install vivaldi

2. Use Microsoft Store

1. Click on the Microsoft Store icon on the Taskbar if it’s pinned there or search it in the Windows search box.
2. Once it’s open, click on the search box and type in the browser name you want to download.
3. Finally, select Get or Install. The browser will be installed on your computer without further steps.

3. Use the Curl command

1. Search and open Windows PowerShell as an administrator.
2. First, run the following command to navigate to the Windows desktop:

   cd Desktop

3. Next, type and run the following command and remember to insert the exact browser link:

   

   curl -L browserlink -o download.exe

4. Give time to the commands to run to completion and check your browser icon to launch it.

Pro tip: Use the browser URL links highlighted at the end of this article. Put them in the curl command as highlighted in step number 3 and 4.

4. Use Invoke-WebRequest Windows PowerShell script

1. Open Windows PowerShell as an administrator as we did in the previous steps.
2. First, run the command below:

   cd Desktop

3. Next, type the following command and press Enter to run it:

   

   Invoke-WebRequest browserlink -o download.exe

4. Remember to put the exact browser link in the command and then give it time to complete the process.

5. Try the Winget command

1. Open Windows PowerShell as an administrator.
2. Copy and paste the following commands and run them:

   winget install --id=Google.Chrome

   winget install --id=Mozilla.Firefox

   winget install --id=Opera.OperaGX

   winget install --id BraveSoftware.BraveBrowser

3. Windows PowerShell will update you when the process is complete; wait and launch your browser.

   

Here are the browser links you can use to download browsers directly or insert them in curl commands or in the Invoke-WebRequest Windows PowerShell script:

• 64-bit Google Chrome: https://dl.google.com/chrome/install/standalonesetup64.exe
• 64-bit Mozilla Firefox: https://download.mozilla.org/?product=firefox-latest&os=win64
• 32-bit Mozilla Firefox: https://download.mozilla.org/?product=firefox-latest&os=win
• 64-bit Opera: https://net.geo.opera.com/opera/stable/windows