Microsoft has announced that it will be putting Internet Explorer out to pasture. In a Windows Experience Blog post released on May 19, the Bellevue-based tech giant announced that it will halt support for its oft-maligned legacy browser starting June 15, 2022.
The blog post also emphasizes the company’s commitment to developing its new browser, Microsoft Edge, stating that “the future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge.”
Microsoft Edge partner group manager Sean Lyndersay said in the blog: “Not only is Microsoft Edge a faster, more secure and more modern browsing experience than Internet Explorer, but it is also able to address a key concern: compatibility for older, legacy websites and applications.”
Lyndersay added: “Microsoft Edge has Internet Explorer mode (“IE mode”) built in, so you can access those legacy Internet Explorer-based websites and applications straight from Microsoft Edge.”
This change mostly affects consumer versions of Windows 10 — the blog post says Windows 7 and 8 will continue to receive support as of the time of the announcement (though this may change in the future).
This announcement follows a previous one made last year stating that Microsoft 365 apps and services suite would be dropping support for Internet Explorer in August 2021.
Microsoft urges Internet Explorer users to make the move to Microsoft Edge before the June 15 2022 deadline. Most Windows 10 users will already have Edge installed.
Internet Explorer was the internet’s web browser of choice from about 1999 to 2010. This was due in large part to the fact that it came bundled with consumer versions of Windows from Windows 95 on; a decision which became the subject of a heated antitrust lawsuit. The browser’s market share began its decline in 2011 — by then, Internet Explorer was developing a reputation as a browser that was outdated, slow, and annoying to code for.
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