It’s been a long time coming, but Microsoft is officially retiring Internet Explorer 11 today. The web browser has been around for 25 years, and it’s definitely been an important part of the Internet’s history.
Internet Explorer 11 was initially released in October 2013, and the web browser is still included on Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and various versions of Windows Server. Windows 11, however, only ships with Microsoft Edge, which comes with a built IE Mode for web developers.
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“Over the next few months, opening Internet Explorer will progressively redirect users to our new modern browser,” explained today Sean Lyndersay, General Manager, Microsoft Edge Enterprise. In a future Windows update, Internet Explorer will be disabled permanently on Windows 10 PCs where it’s still available.
Microsoft will actually continue to support Internet Explorer on Windows 10 LTSC releases, Windows 10 China Government Edition, all Windows Server versions, as well as Windows 8.1, and Windows 7 with Extended Security Updates (ESUs). However, Microsoft strongly encourages these users to switch to the IE mode in Microsoft Edge, which will be supported through at least 2029.
With IE mode, Microsoft Edge offers unmatched compatibility for the Internet, whether the website was built 10 years or 10 days ago. The future of Internet Explorer is in Microsoft Edge, giving you a faster, more secure, and more modern browser,” Lyndersay said today.