Internet Explorer shut down; users directed to Microsoft Edge 

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Internet Explorer shutdown overview: 

• Who: Microsoft has announced that it is officially retiring its Internet Explorer browser and redirecting its users to Microsoft Edge. 
• Why: The company says Microsoft Edge is faster, more secure, and more modern. 
• Where: The retirement of Internet Explorer will affect Windows users nationwide.   

Microsoft has officially retired its Internet Explorer browser, with the company telling its users they will now be directed to Microsoft Edge.

The tech giant reassured Internet Explorer users in a blog post Wednesday that they will still be able to use the web browser’s features, however, thanks to Microsoft Edge’s “IE mode.” 

“We haven’t forgotten that some parts of the web still rely on Internet Explorer’s specific behaviors and features,” Sean Lyndersay, general manager of Microsoft Edge Enterprise, said in the blog post. 

Microsoft first announced in February 2021 it was going to phase out the browser from its products. 

The company had previously made moves which signaled an end to the web browser, including by phasing it out of its workplace chat software Teams in August 2020 and its 365 apps last summer. 

“Incremental improvements to Internet Explorer couldn’t match the general improvements to the web at large, so we started fresh,” Lyndersay said. “Microsoft Edge is a faster, more secure and modern browser — the best browser for Windows — designed for today’s internet.”

Internet Explorer end to affect all supported windows versions 

Microsoft users who click on the icon for Internet Explorer will now be directed to Microsoft Edge. The company says an upgrade will eventually remove Internet Explorer icons from all of the company’s devices. 

The browser’s “retirement” will affect all currently supported versions of Windows 10 Home, Pro, Enterprise, Edu, and IoT. 

Microsoft says the browser will not be removed immediately but rather a progressive approach will be taken in order to give users time to “complete their transition.” 

The company says it will also continue to support the retired browser on Windows versions that are “currently in-support” and those that are being used in “critical environments” until they go out of support. 

A class action lawsuit was filed against Microsoft earlier this month by a consumer claiming the company violates the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) by collecting facial scans of Photos app users on its Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems. 

Are you affected by Microsoft retiring its Internet Explorer browser? Let us know in the comments! 

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