The everyday basics
Websites, apps and browsers: what is the difference?
A few useful words for finding your way around a phone or computer.
- Website
- A collection of pages you visit at a web address. You are on one now.
- Browser
- The app that opens websites. Safari, Chrome, Firefox and Edge are examples.
- App
- A piece of software for doing something on a device, such as taking photos or reading messages.
- Link
- Something you select to open another page or place. On this site, links are underlined.
You may have more than one way in
A service may offer both a website and an app. You do not necessarily need to download an app to use its website. The available features can differ.
A small thing to try here
Open the link below. On the next page, select Everyday help in the navigation to return to the topic list. You are practising moving between pages; nothing is being installed.
Open “What could AI help me with?”
When you meet an unfamiliar screen
Look for the page title and the available choices. You can use the browser’s Back button to return to where you were. It is fine to stop and ask someone to explain a word before continuing.