Internet Explorer is finally being retired by Microsoft this week, 27 years after the classic browser initially appeared as part of a package add-on for the company’s legendary Windows 95 operating system. The retirement date for IE was originally announced by Microsoft in an article published in May 2021 that discussed how the future of Internet Explorer on Windows is now Microsoft Edge, the company’s modern, Chromium-based successor. Support for Internet Explorer has already been winding down for many months now (e.g., Microsoft 365 an dother apps ended support for IE11 in August 2021), but the few days ahead will be the last in which fans of the iconic software can use it in any sort of official capacity. The first version of Internet Explorer was released on August 16, 1995. Google now dominates the browser world, with Chrome currently sitting at over 66% market share.
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.
Source: Microsoft