I can’t count the number of times I’ve used Internet Explorer to download another internet browser but it seems like we won’t be getting any more moments like those with the 25-year-old browser. Microsoft has announced that it is finally pulling the plug on Internet Explorer. The browser has been left unused for many years as consumers opted for better options like Firefox and Google Chrome.
The announcement came via Sean Lyndersay, a Microsoft Edge Program manager. He said that “We are announcing that the future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge. The Internet Explorer 11 desktop application will be retired and go out of support on June 15, 2022, for certain versions of Windows 10”. This means you can still use the ancient explorer for at least a year but after that, it will be permanently replaced by Microsoft Edge.
Although I still use Microsoft Edge to download other browsers it is significantly better than its ancestor. The Long-Term Servicing Channel or LTSC of Windows 10 will still include Internet Explorer until next year but all consumer versions will end support of the browser. You can still use the IE mode of Microsoft Edge though. Many old websites still use older ActiveX controls so IE mode allows businesses to adopt the new Chromium-based browser for older legacy websites.
IE mode will remain with Microsoft Edge until 2029. Although Microsoft seems to want to rid themselves of the old browser as soon as possible, they’ve opted to slowly phase it out. They ended support for IE for the Microsoft Teams web app just last year. They are even planning to cut it off from accessing other Microsoft 365 services later this year.
This means that Internet Explorer will no longer support online services like OneDrive, Outlook, and Office 365 on August 17th. Microsoft has been trying to get people to stop using the browser as soon as they released Microsoft Edge in 2015. They have labeled IE as more of a compatibility solution than a full-fledge internet browser.
So we only have one more year left, guess I’ll start using IE for some nostalgia before I’m forced to download it through dubious means after its support ends.