How to open HTML files on Windows
If your intention is to open an HTML file on Windows, this is the most suitable section of the tutorial for you: in the next chapters, in fact, I will show you some solutions that will allow you to open this kind of file both through Internet browsers (for viewing these files) and through tools editing (to analyze the code and modify it).
Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer
On computers equipped with the operating system Windows, there are several solutions that can help you view an HTML file. An example are the two default Windows browsers: Microsoft Edge e Internet Explorer. These allow, in fact, to open an HTML file without the need to install third-party web browsing software.
Usually, double clicking on an HTML file opens it through the browser set as the default on Windows. If this is your first time trying to open an HTML file, Windows will show you a box to choose one of the recommended programs listed. Alternatively, you can right-click and select the entry Open with from the context menu, then choosing one of the browsers present from the various options.
If you then need to open an HTML file with other browsers, perhaps to verify that the source code is compatible with other solutions, you can install Google Chrome or Firefox, which I told you about in more detail in this guide.
Notepad + +
If your goal is to view the source code of an HTML file, the best solution I can recommend is Notepad + +: a free and open source program that allows you to modify an HTML file and view the entire compilation code.
If you are interested in Notepad + +, go to the official website of the program and click on the entry Download, located in the left menu bar. Now, press the button Download to download the 32-bit version of the software or use the links in the section below to download the 64-bit version. If you do not know the processor architecture of your computer, I recommend that you read this tutorial of mine.
After downloading the .exe, double-click on it and hit Yes, on the Windows User Account Control screen. In the box you see, select cityno in the drop-down menu for choosing the language and then click on OK. Now, press the keystroke NEXT, Accept, NEXT, NEXT, Install and finally, press on end to complete the installation.
To use Notepad + + as an editor for HTML files, just select the corresponding item in the context menu that is shown to you when you right-click on this type of file. The item I am referring to is the one called Edit with Notepad++, through which the HTML file will be opened directly with this software, displaying the source code.
Any changes you make to the HTML file can be tested in real time via a specific function of Notepad + +: Click on the item Run in the menu bar at the top and then select one of the options that are shown to you to open the file with one of the browsers indicated, if installed.
Other software to open HTML files
In addition to the solutions I told you about in the previous chapters, there are several others, both free and paid, that can help you in your goal. An example is Adobe Dreamweaver, paid software developed by the company Adobe, known for its high-quality professional tools, such as Photoshop.
Adobe Dreamweaver allows you to design a website from scratch and professionally, using the integrated creation and autofill tools. It is recommended for more experienced users but, thanks to its ease of use, even newbies may be able to create an HTML page or an entire website, with the help of the many tutorials available on the Internet.
In case you are willing to test its features, you can download the free trial version from the official website or buy it starting from 24,39 euros / month or 292,52 euros / year.
Alternatively, there are other free software such as BlueGriffon or SeaMonkey, which I told you about in my HTML program guide.
How to open HTML files on macOS
Open HTML files on macOS it is an operation that requires a few moments of your time, thanks to the solutions I will talk about in the next chapters. You can use the integrated browser of the Mac, to view HTML pages in a "classic" way, or some third-party tools to edit them. Choose according to your needs.
Safari
If you have a computer with an operating system MacOS, you can easily open an HTML file thanks to Safari. The latter is the default browser of Apple computers, it allows you to browse the Internet and open any Web type file, such as those with XML or HTML extension.
To open an HTML file, then, simply double-click on it. This way you can start Safari and then display the content of the selected page. Alternatively, if double-clicking starts a program other than Safari, right click on the HTML file of your interest and select the items Open with> Safari from the context menu.
Besides Safari, you can install other browsers to open HTML files in visual mode, such as Google Chrome o Firefox, which I told you about in detail in my guide on the best browsers.
brackets
To view and edit the source code of an HTML file, you can use a free and open source solution, such as brackets, which is available on macOS but also on other operating systems, such as Windows and Linux.
If you are interested in this software, you can download it directly from the official website at this link. Then click the button Scarica Brackets x.xx, to download the installation file. After downloading the .dmg, using the screen that is shown to you, drag theBrackets icon in the folder Applications and enter your Mac password to install.
Now, to open an HTML file with this software, right-click on it and select, in the context menu, the items Open with > brackets. In the message that is shown on the screen, press the button apri and wait a few moments for the application to start brackets.
Changes made to the HTML file can be previewed via the function Live preview of Brackets, available by clicking on the item Fillet, in the top menu bar. Unfortunately this feature is not available for Safari and requires the use of Google Chrome on macOS (I explained how to install it in this guide of mine). Alternatively, you will need to save the file from time to time and open it with Safari.
Other applications to open HTML files
In addition to the solutions I mentioned in the previous paragraphs, you can install other applications for macOS that allow you to view the source code of an HTML file.
As I have already indicated to you in this chapter, there are several paid or free software that can be useful for your purpose: Adobe Dreamweaver, BlueGriffon e SeaMonkey are just some of the applications also available for macOS, which I told you about in this guide, that can help you open an HTML file, to view and modify its source code.
How to open HTML files on Android
If you don't have the ability to use a computer to open or edit an HTML file, in the next chapters I will show you some apps that can help you achieve this via a smartphone or tablet Android.
Browser Android
On smartphones and tablets with Android operating system, opening an HTML page is a procedure that takes just a few moments. In fact, this kind of file can be opened with any web browsing app, such as the browser Google Chrome or the native tool HTML viewer.
To open an HTML file, go to the position where it is located with the help of a file management app, such as Google files. Once you reach the folder where you saved the file, such as Download, tap on it and select, through the options shown below, the app to open it. You can then choose the internal HTML file viewer or one of the web browsers installed on your smartphone / tablet.
HTML Reader/Viewer
Alternatively, you can download a third-party app to be able to view the source code of the HTML files. In this case, I recommend the app HTML Reader/Viewer, which allows you to view an HTML file and its source code.
If you are interested in this application, you can download it for free from the Android Play Store. Then tap the button Install and finally, su apri. After starting the app, presses on the wording Accept and consent to requests for access to device features.
On the main screen of HTML Reader/Viewer, then tap onfolder icon at the top and navigate to the location where the HTML file is located. After selecting it, it will open immediately, displaying its content. In case you want to view the source code, tap onicon that you find at the top.
Other apps to open HTML files
The tools I told you about in the previous chapters allow you to open an HTML file and view its contents, even in source code. If, however, you want an app to also make changes to an HTML file, try one of the solutions listed in the next lines.
- HTML Editor - is a simple, completely free HTML file editor that supports itself with banner ads. It allows you to compile a file in HTML language, but it requires a basic knowledge of this language, without which its use can be difficult. The compiled code can be previewed at any time, using the preview function.
- HTML Editor - although its name is similar to the app I told you about in the previous lines, this editor has, in some respects, some extra gear: in addition to having less invasive advertising banners, which cannot be removed anyway, it has a feature of autocompletion for the rapid compilation of the attributes of the HTML language.
- anWriter Free HTML editor - it is the most complete editor among those analyzed so far: in addition to the modification and auto-completion of the programming language attributes, it has an import and export function of HTML files via FTP protocol, to download files from the server and reload them with the changes made.
How to open HTML files on iOS
In case you own a iPhone or iPad, you can use the default tools or some third-party apps to open an HTML file on these devices. In the next chapters I will show you some solutions, belonging to both categories, that can be for you.
Preview of iOS and Safari
IPhones and iPads come with a built-in feature called Preview. The latter allows you to preview many types of files, including those in HTML. If you have downloaded a file in this format to your Apple device or it is present within iCloud Drive, after you tap on it, it will immediately open and you can see its content.
In some apps, especially those with HTML-formatted attachments, these can also be viewed via Safari, pressing on the appropriate icon (Quella a forma di compass) which you can find in the preview screen integrated in the same app.
HTML Viewer Q
Some apps are available on the iOS App Store that allow you to view the source code of an HTML file stored on your device or imported from a URL. This is the case with the free app HTML Viewer Q which allows, in a few moments, to import an HTML file to analyze the source code.
If you are interested in this app, reach the link I provided and tap on the icon Get, then unlock the download and installation with Face ID, Touch ID or iCloud password. Finally, press the button apri.
After starting the app, tap onicon with l'ingranaggio located at the bottom right and, in the box you see, select iCloud Drive, to import an HTML file from this cloud storage, or press the voice Input URL, to open a web page of an Internet site, via its URL.
Since your intention is to open an HTML file, if you have previously uploaded it to iCloud, tap on the item iCloud Drive and select it. By doing so, the file will be imported into the app and you will see its contents. By tapping onicon located at the top left, instead, you can see the source code of the selected HTML file.
Other apps to open HTML files
If the solutions I told you about in the previous chapters do not meet your needs, then you can consult the list of apps to open HTML files on iOS that you find below.
- HTML & HTML5 Editor - is a free app that allows you to open HTML files on your device or iCloud. It has an auto-complete feature of attributes, to easily insert them without making mistakes. Using the preview tool, you can evaluate the correctness of the modified source code.
- iEditor - is a free editor that modifies different types of files, such as text or HTML files. After importing the file from iCloud Drive, it opens within the app, via the built-in HTML viewer. Using the editing tool, instead, the source code of the HTML file is shown, to which you can make changes.
- EasyHTML - is a free app that allows you to view and edit the source code of an HTML file located on the memory of the iPhone or iPad. It has an HTML attribute autocompletion feature and a real-time preview of the work that is taking place on editing the code.
