End of an era: Microsoft to shut Internet Explorer after 27 years (2024)

FAQs

End of an era: Microsoft to shut Internet Explorer after 27 years? ›

After nearly 27 years, an iconic Microsoft product is finally being put to rest. Internet Explorer 11 is now incompatible with Microsoft (MSFT) products, as announced by the company in a blog post Wednesday. The move comes over a year after Microsoft (MSFT) first announced its intention to phase out IE from products.

Microsoft announced some heartbreaking news for Internet Explorer users on Valentine's Day: Internet Explorer is no more. The company has permanently disabled the desktop version of Internet Explorer on certain versions of Windows 10, and updated its newer browser, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft announced Tuesday.

The retired, out-of-support Internet Explorer 11 desktop application has been permanently disabled through a Microsoft Edge update on certain versions of Windows 10.

Internet Explorer (IE) was sunsetted by Microsoft on June 15, 2022.

Yes, Internet Explorer 11 is the last major version of Internet Explorer. The Internet Explorer 11 desktop application went out of support for certain operating systems starting June 15, 2022*.

Since then, many new web browsers have overtaken it (like Chrome, or Firefox) – and for good reason. Over the years, IE has been plagued by bugs, security problems, and performance issues. Now, likely less than 10% of people use IE. If you're still one of them, this is going to explain why you should get a new browser.

Although the browser is retiring, new research shows that up to 47% of Windows 10 devices still use Explorer as their browser. Seeing as Microsoft has announced its retirement in 2020, users have been given plenty of time to move on to a different browser — so why is it that so many still choose to stick with Explorer?

When a user goes to a site that is incompatible with Internet Explorer, they will be automatically redirected to Microsoft Edge. This article describes the user experience for redirection and the group policies that are used to configure or disable automatic redirection.

The Edge icon, a blue letter "e," is similar to the Internet Explorer icon, but they are separate applications. To open Internet Explorer, open the Windows menu in the lower left corner of your screen and begin typing "Internet Explorer." IE will pop up in a search menu. Simply click on it to open.

Is Microsoft Edge better than Chrome? ›

Performance and Efficiency: Speed and Resource Management. Microsoft Edge: Optimized for Efficiency: Edge is often praised for its lower RAM usage compared to Chrome, which can lead to better performance, especially on devices with limited memory.

Microsoft has since terminated security support for the original browser (now referred to as Microsoft Edge Legacy). Edge is also available on older Windows versions (Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2 and later were supported until early 2023), as well as Linux.

Netscape Navigator is a discontinued proprietary web browser, and the original browser of the Netscape line, from versions 1 to 4.08, and 9.

IE mode enables backward compatibility and will be supported through at least 2029. Additionally, Microsoft will provide notice one year prior to retiring IE mode. Go here for a list of supported operating systems for Internet Explorer, including versions impacted by this announcement.

Enable/Disable Internet Explorer mode in Microsoft Edge

Click the [Settings and more] icon ① in the top-right corner, then click [Settings]②. Click [Default browser]③. Under Allow sites to be reloaded in Internet Explorer mode (IE mode)④, you can select the setting you need. Select “Allow” to enable IE mode.

Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner of the browser window. Select “Settings” from the dropdown menu. Scroll down to the “Default browser” section. Toggle on the “Enable Internet Explorer mode” option.

Support for Internet Explorer ended on June 15, 2022

Microsoft Edge is the faster, more secure browser recommended by Microsoft.

Internet Explorer was retired on June 15, 2022

You can reload Internet Explorer sites with IE mode in Microsoft Edge.

But now, Microsoft has permanently disabled Internet Explorer. If you need to use IE in Windows 10 or Windows 11, the way to get it is through Internet Explorer mode in the Microsoft Edge browser. Here we show anyone who needs that good old IE special sauce how to get it without using the old browser.