Internet, Networking, & Security Browsers IE11 User Tip: Opening a Link in a New Window or Browser Tab A simple right-click context menu gets the job done by Paul Gil Writer Paul Gil, a former Lifewire writer who is also known for his dynamic internet and database courses and has been active in technology fields for over two decades. our editorial process Paul Gil Updated on April 13, 2020 Browsers Chrome Safari Firefox Microsoft Tweet Share Email Internet Explorer 11 supports contextual menus that extend and modify the core behaviors of the browser. Among other shortcuts, the context menu redirects where the browser should open a new link. The information in this article applies to Internet Explorer 11. How to Open a Link in a New Tab or Window Right-click on the hyperlink. In the context menu, select either Open in new tab or Open in new window. Opening in a new tab adds a new tab to the current Internet Explorer window, whereas opening in a new window launches another instance of the browser.