Microsoft has officially put an end to its legacy web browser, Internet Explorer, on February 14, 2023. The company announced that it permanently disabled Internet Explorer 11 on most consumer versions of Windows 10, as part of a new Microsoft Edge update. The move is aimed at improving user experience and encouraging organizations to switch to the newer and more secure Edge browser, which is based on the same Chromium engine as Google Chrome.
Internet Explorer was launched in 1995 and became the dominant web browser for many years, reaching a peak market share of over 90% in 2003. However, the browser gradually lost its popularity and relevance, as it failed to keep up with the evolving web standards and faced fierce competition from other browsers like Firefox, Chrome, and Safari. Internet Explorer also suffered from a reputation of being slow, buggy, and vulnerable to security threats.
Microsoft officially retired Internet Explorer 11 in June 2021, ending support for the final version of the browser. However, some users and organizations still relied on the browser for compatibility reasons, as some older websites and applications were designed to work only with Internet Explorer. To address this issue, Microsoft introduced the Internet Explorer mode in Edge, which allows users to access legacy websites and applications without leaving the Edge browser.
The Internet Explorer mode in Edge will continue to be supported until at least 2029, according to Microsoft. The company also said that it will provide a transition path for customers who need more time to move away from Internet Explorer. However, for most Windows 10 users, the new Edge update will remove the Internet Explorer 11 app from their devices and redirect any attempts to launch the browser to Edge.
Microsoft Edge is the default browser included with Windows 10, and it is also available for macOS, iOS, and Android devices. Edge offers a fast and secure browsing experience, with features like built-in privacy and security tools, immersive reader, read aloud, collections, vertical tabs, and password monitor. Edge also gives users access to free Microsoft 365 web apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as thousands of extensions from the Chrome Web Store.
Microsoft has been promoting Edge as the best browser for Windows, and it has been gaining market share steadily since its launch in 2020. According to StatCounter, Edge had a global market share of 8.5% as of January 2023, surpassing Firefox as the second most popular browser after Chrome. Microsoft hopes that by phasing out Internet Explorer, it will be able to attract more users and developers to Edge and make it the browser of choice for the modern web.
