Microsoft’s iconic browser Internet Explorer is being killed off in June

Fortunately, IE will live on within Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer Mode.

Credit: Dreamstime

Believe it or not, Microsoft's Internet Explorer still lives. But not for long.

If you're one of those people who is still reliant on Internet Explorer, Microsoft has some bad news: the vendor will officially end support for the Internet Explorer desktop application on June 15, 2022.

The replacement? Microsoft Edge, which already has an Internet Explorer mode built right in. Microsoft said in 2019 that it planned to add an IE Mode within Edge, and the virtualised browser lives on as a configurable mode within Microsoft Edge. 

That's important, because the modern Edge browser is simply more secure than Internet Explorer ever was. And you can't say Microsoft didn't signal IE's demise, by basically booting users from accessing hundreds of sites via IE in late 2020.

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 explained in a blog post last year.

However, there are exceptions. In a technical FAQ, Microsoft noted that it will only phase out Internet Explorer on Windows 10 20H2 and later. Eventually, however, earlier version releases of Windows 10 will also end support.

If you're still stuck on Windows 8.1, the end-of-life notice won't apply, either. And for app developers who embed web content through the MSHTML (Trident) engine, the app is unchanged by IE11 retirement and will continue to be supported, Microsoft said.

How to enable Internet Explorer Mode within Edge

Fortunately, the way to enable Internet Explorer mode within Edge hasn't changed. First, of course, your PC will need to have Microsoft Edge, which probably will reside on your PC's taskbar. IE Mode can be turned on via Edge's settings.

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Mark Hachman

Mark Hachman

PC World
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