Windows 8.1 Tip: Open IE Tabs from Other PCs

One of the most useful new features in Windows 8.1's Internet Explorer 11 is the ability to open tabs from other PCs. Though available first on other browsers, it's a welcome addition to IE 11 and works with both the mobile and desktop versions of the browser.

Like an ever-increasing number of other Windows 8.x features, tab sync IE utilizes SkyDrive under the hood, and thus requires a Microsoft account. And it opens up the possibility that this feature will appear in other versions of IE, including those on Windows Phone and Xbox, in the future.

For now, however, it works great in Windows 8.1.

To access synced tabs from the desktop version of IE 11, open the new tab window (CTRL + T). Below the block of tiles representing frequently-accessed sites, you will see a new strip of options that display the names of your other PCs.

To see the synced tabs from a PC, simply click the PC name: The list of available sites will appear in a drop-down menu. Click one to view it on the current PC.

To access synced tabs from the mobile (formerly "Metro") version of IE 11, tap the Tabs button in IE 11's app bar.

When you do, the new Tabs interface appears.

By default, the Tabs interface displays the open tabs in IE 11 on the current computer. But you can tap the PC name in the top left of the interface to display a list of the available PCs.

To display the available tabs on a particular PC, just select it from the list.

To display one of those sites on the current PC, just tap the one you're interested in.

Note: This feature is available in the final shipping version of Windows 8.1 and may not be present in the Consumer Preview.