Microsoft to retire Internet Explorer in 2022 – but it will live on in Edge

Microsoft has revealed it will end support for Internet Explorer, its old browser application and one of the oldest still used, in 2022.

The company made the announcement on 19 May.

Microsoft’s reason for killing off the 26-year-old browser is that it wants to prioritise its other browser app, Microsoft Edge, going forward.

“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 Program Manager Sean Lyndersay wrote in a blog post.

How much time does Internet Explorer have?

Internet Explorer had experienced a drop in user popularity over several years. This in part to stiff competition such as Firefox and Google Chrome. Microsoft itself had been prompting users to move away from the browser in favour of Microsoft Edge.

According to browser statistics monitor StatCounter, Internet Explorer’s market share in January 2021 was just 0.81%.

Before it shuts it off for good, Microsoft will first end support for Internet Explorer in apps such as Microsoft 365. The support will end on 17 August.

After that, the browser desktop app will retire on 15 June 2022.

However, Microsoft Edge will continue to support older, non-Chromium based websites.

In May 2019, Microsoft introduced Internet Explorer Mode in Edge that uses the browsers rendering engine to generate old websites. Microsoft will support the mode until at least 2029.

“With Microsoft Edge, we provide a path to the web’s future while still respecting the web’s past,” Lyndersay wrote.

Feature image: Microsoft

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