Microsoft Officially Shuts Down Internet Explorer Browser After Nearly 27 Years

After announcing the decision in 2021, Microsoft has officially canned Internet Explorer after almost 27 years in favor of its new web browser, Edge.

June 15, 2022

An Internet Explorer browser interface is displayed on a mobile device — Image via Getty/Costfoto/Future Publishing
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Microsoft has officially shut down its Internet Explorer browser after 27 years.

Microsoft Edge is the company’s replacement. Users who click on the Explorer icon will now be redirected to download Edge, as noted by the Telegraph. The tech giant announced the application’s June 15, 2022 termination in May 2021.

Birthed in 1995, Internet Explorer was one of the only ways for computer users to access what was at that time still often known as the world wide web. Microsoft’s PC domination for years made the app incredibly popular by default. Edge slowly began replacing IE in 2016.

The browser hasn’t been a favorite among web surfers for years now. The Wall Street Journal reports that this month, roughly 0.28 percent of users relied on Explorer, while about 66% depend on Chrome and more than 18 percent go with Apple’s Safari.

Microsoft said Edge will come with an Internet Explorer mode to run internal applications companies may have come to rely on. “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,” the company wrote in a 2021 blog post. “Microsoft Edge has Internet Explorer mode (“IE mode”) built in, so you can access those legacy Internet Explorer-based websites and applications straight from Microsoft Edge.”