Microsoft Is Finally Dropping Internet Explorer In 2022

After more than 25 years, Microsoft will finally retire Internet Explorer next year. For years, most consumers have avoided using Internet Explorer, but Microsoft is putting the final nail in the coffin on June 15th, 2022, by retiring it in favor of Microsoft Edge.

“We are announcing that Microsoft Edge is the future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10,” says Sean Lyndersay, a Microsoft Edge program manager. 

“The Internet Explorer 11 desktop application will be retired and no longer supported for certain versions of Windows 10 on June 15, 2022.”

While the Explorer will continue to be supported in the Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) of Windows 10 next year, support for the browser will end in all consumer versions. 

Microsoft doesn’t say anything (and we’re checking), but it’s likely that Internet Explorer will be phased out of Windows by June 2022 or shortly thereafter.

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For most businesses, Microsoft Edge with the Explorer mode will suffice. Microsoft developed its IE mode for Edge a few years ago, allowing businesses to use the new Chromium-based browser for older legacy websites.

IE mode supports older ActiveX controls and legacy sites, which are still used by a surprising number of businesses. Microsoft promises that this IE mode will be supported in Edge until at least 2029.

Internet Explorer’s demise has been a long time coming. Microsoft discontinued support for Internet Explorer 11 for the Microsoft Teams web app last year, and it plans to discontinue access to Microsoft 365 services later this year. 

On August 17th, Internet Explorer 11 will no longer be supported for Microsoft’s online services such as Office 365, OneDrive, Outlook, and others.

For more than five years, Microsoft has also attempted to discourage people from using Internet Explorer. Microsoft Edge debuted in 2015, heralding the end of the Internet Explorer brand. 

Since then, Microsoft has referred to   the Explorer as a “compatibility solution” rather than a browser, and has encouraged businesses to abandon the aging browser in favor of Edge and its IE mode.