Highlights –

  • The Internet Explorer browser is retiring after 27 years of service!
  • Microsoft officials say that the support for IE Mode will follow the lifecycle of current and future Windows servers, IoT releases, and clients at least until 2029.

As planned, Microsoft will end support for most versions of its Internet Explorer (IE) 11 browser on June 15. The tech giant has some things to say about what happens next and which versions will no longer get security updates.

Last year, Microsoft had announced that most versions of Windows 10 would no longer have IE 11 browser. Since then, the company has spent months encouraging its customers to get ready by proactively retiring the use of the browser. It’s finally happening, Internet Explorer 11 desktop application will be retired and go out of support on June 15, 2022, for certain versions of Windows 10. The browser is retiring after 27 years of service!

Though, this change will not affect a few products like Windows Server LTSC (all versions), Windows 10 IoT LTSC (all versions), Windows 10 client LTSC (all versions), Windows Server 2022, Windows 7 (with Extended Security Updates), IE 11 desktop on Windows 8.1, and IE Mode in Edge. As the default browser for Windows 11 is Edge, the IE 11 app is not available. However, IE 11 will be removed completely from Windows 10 IoT (version 20H2 and later) and Windows 10 client SKUs (version 20H2 and later).

Microsoft has suggested its customers not to uninstall IE completely because Microsoft Edge’s IE Mode relies on IE 11 to function. The IE desktop application will gradually be redirected to Microsoft Edge over the coming months after June 15 support end date. It will finally be permanently disabled in an undesignated future Windows Update.

Microsoft officials say that the IE Mode in Microsoft Edge will be supported until at least 2029 so that the web designers get eight years to modernize legacy apps and eventually do away with the need for IE mode.

They also say that the support for IE Mode will follow the lifecycle of current and future Windows servers, IoT releases, and clients at least until 2029. If a Window version’s support ends before that, the support for that version’s IE Mode will also end. The company has committed to providing advance notice of one year before retiring IE Mode completely. After the stated retirement dates, the officials have confirmed that there won’t be any extensions in terms of IE 11 support.

Microsoft had first released Internet Explorer in 1995 as an add-on package for Windows 95. The latest version, IE 11, came into existence in October 2013. Though most people stopped using this browser after Edge started in 2015, many will agree that – it is the end of an era!

The company said in a release, “We are announcing that the future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge. 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. 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.”

“With Microsoft Edge capable of assuming this responsibility and more, the Internet Explorer 11 desktop application will be retired and go out of support on June 15, 2022, for certain versions of Windows 10,” the company release said.