A browser is a program on your computer or phone that does one job: it shows you websites. That's the whole thing. Everything else is decoration.
When you type 'wakemed.org' into the bar at the top, or tap a link in an email, the browser sends a message to a computer somewhere else (the website's server), the server sends back the page, and the browser draws it on your screen. That's the entire conversation. Repeat about 80 times a day.
Why are there so many browsers? Because different companies make them, and each one has a slightly different design, a slightly different set of features, and a slightly different opinion about your privacy. Chrome is made by Google. Safari is made by Apple. Firefox is made by a nonprofit called Mozilla. Edge is made by Microsoft. They're all free.
Should you switch? Not unless you want to. The browser that came with your computer or phone is fine for almost everything. Safari on iPhone, Chrome on most computers, Edge on a Windows laptop, any of them will get you to your bank, your patient portal, your email, and your favorite recipes.
Two things worth knowing about any browser:
First, the address bar at the top is also a search bar. You don't need to type 'www.' or '.com', just type what you're looking for ('wakemed mychart login') and the browser will figure it out.
Second, every browser has a 'Back' arrow in the upper left. If you click something and the page goes somewhere you didn't expect, Back will return you to where you were. It cannot break anything. Use it freely.
That's it. The browser is a window. The internet is what's on the other side. You don't need to know how the window works to enjoy the view.
