Microsoft Is Retiring Internet Explorer in 2022
Microsoft is retiring Internet Explorer, the browser it created more than 25 years that has largely been abandoned as people use competitors such as Google’s Chrome or Apple’s Safari.
“We are announcing that the future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge,” the company said in a blog post, referring to its other browser.
Microsoft said that as of June 15, 2021 Internet Explorer would be retired and no longer be supported by the company.
But Internet Explorer based websites and applications will work with Edge at least until 2029, Microsoft said, because many organisations have websites based on the now-doomed browser.
The announcement about the end of Internet Explorer was made through a post on the Windows blog. It says “Internet Explorer 11 desktop application will be retired and go out of support on June 15, 2022, for certain versions of Windows 10”. Microsoft has given three reasons as to why Microsoft Edge is a good replacement for Internet Explorer for home and office use.
One of the most notable reasons is improved browser security of Microsoft Edge. Microsoft claims that more than roughly 579 password attacks are attempted every second and its Chromium-based Edge browser provides good security against phishing attacks and malware on Windows 10 with its Microsoft Defender SmartScreen. The company says that Microsoft Edge browser “can issue security patches for immediate vulnerabilities within days, if not hours”.
Another reason why Microsoft wants Internet Explorer users to migrate to Edge is due to the new browser’s streamlined productivity. Microsoft introduced a Sleeping tabs feature that it claims uses 16 percent less memory, 26 percent less CPU usage, and increases battery life of the devices running it. Microsoft Edge browser also has a feature to sort all tabs in a vertical fashion on the left side of the screen.
The third reason given by Microsoft in favour of the Edge browser is its compatibility with both legacy and modern websites. Microsoft Edge is compatible with legacy Internet Explorer-based websites and applications. And as it is based on the Chromium open-source project, it is also compatible with modern day websites.
The Microsoft Edge browser has an IE mode that users can utilise to access websites that require Internet Explorer to open. Microsoft says that IE mode will be supported on Microsoft Edge through at least 2029. For enterprises using legacy websites and applications, Microsoft has defined a list of steps in the blog post that enterprises can follow to set up the Edge browser with IE mode.