Microsoft to finally retire browser Internet Explorer in 2022
20 May 2021, 12:34
The tech giant will no longer roll out security updates and bug fixes for the ageing browser from next June.
Microsoft is putting the final nail in the coffin of Internet Explorer, revealing that the legacy web browser will retire for good in summer next year.
The tech giant has gradually shifted away from the aging software after some 25 years on the scene, starting afresh with the new Edge browser in 2015 to coincide with the launch of Windows 10.
Support for the final version, Internet Explorer 11, has been maintained, even though most people have already moved elsewhere.
By ending support, this means important security updates and bug fixes will no longer be rolled out.
The web browser will be officially retired on June 15 2022, Microsoft said.
“We are announcing that the future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge,” Sean Lyndersay, partner group program manager for Microsoft Edge, wrote in a blog post.
The firm had already paved the way for Internet Explorer’s demise, ending support for it in the Microsoft Teams web app last year and with plans to do the same via Microsoft 365 services soon.
Edge offers an IE mode for people to view dated websites that may not load properly on modern web browsers.
Although the announcement will mostly force any remaining consumer users over to Edge, Internet Explorer will still cling on for some businesses who pay for Microsoft’s Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC), designed for devices such as medical systems which need functionality and features to remain unchanged over time.
