Internet Explorer End Of Life Explained: The Old Browser Finally Retires

Microsoft is finally bidding farewell to the old Internet Explorer Web Browser. After more than 25 years, the so-called “OG” web browser is retiring. Likewise, it will be exclusively termed EOL (End of Life) on June 15, 2022.

Although most users stopped using the aging browser, Microsoft is putting an end to it next year to support Microsoft Edge. Internet Explorer, launched in 1995, was the dominant web browser until its competitors Google Chrome and Firefox came into being.

Internet Explorer nears End of Life phase

“We are announcing that the future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge,” says Sean Lyndersay in a blog post. The blog post highlights Internet Explorer’s retirement in another statement by Lyndersay. “The Internet Explorer 11 desktop application will be retired and go out of support on June 15, 2022, for certain versions of Windows 10.”

However, Windows 10 LTSC (Long-term Support Channel) builds will still contain Internet Explorer. But, all the consumer releases of Windows 10 will have their support ended. On the other hand, Microsoft hasn’t forgotten about its users. The tech giant introduced an “IE Mode” in Edge a while back to include support for old websites. Obviously, it comes with all the features of Internet Explorer within it. Microsoft aims to make that permanent so that it’s easier for everyone.

“With Microsoft Edge, we provide a path to the web’s future while still respecting the web’s past,” Lyndersay explained. “Change was necessary, but we didn’t want to leave reliable, still-functioning websites and applications behind. We’re here to help you transition to the more comprehensive browsing experience of Microsoft Edge and tell you a bit more about why we think it will address your needs, both at home and at work”. This only means that Edge actually holds the future of Internet Explorer.

We already had a timeline that Microsoft released earlier, highlighting the end of IE 11 support by Microsoft’s services. We have a final timeline mentioned in the blog post that gives us a clear view of its farewell.

Let’s be realistic – the only reason most of us ever used Internet Explorer was to download another browser. However, even that changed ever since Microsoft Edge launched. Hence, it’s safe to imply that Microsoft has been giving huge hints about discontinuation for a while.

When was the last time that you opened Internet Explorer? Let us know in the comments below.