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Internet Explorer Is Officially Retired by Microsoft

After 27 years, Microsoft has officially retired Internet Explorer. Users who try to launch the browsers will now be redirected to Microsoft Edge, the company’s replacement. Microsoft announced in May 2021 that Internet Explorer would be phased out on June 15, 2022. For a long time, the browser has been unpopular among most users.

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According to a Wall Street Journal report, only 0.28 percent of users use Internet Explorer this month, while 66 percent use Chrome and 18 percent use Safari.

Some websites are still only compatible with Internet Explorer. According to Nikkei, certain Japanese government agencies and financial institutions have yet to adapt to the change. For instance, their Pension Service website is compatible with Internet Explorer.

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Microsoft Edge does include an Internet Explorer mode for running internal applications that businesses may have come to rely on. As a result, while Internet Explorer will no longer be accessible, it will remain a part of Windows at least until 2029.

The browser was first released in 1995; for many years, Microsoft’s dominance meant that many people used Windows’ default browser, Internet Explorer, on a daily basis. The browser’s popularity remained stable for a long time. However, as other options became available, the use of the browser began to decline. With the release of Microsoft Edge in 2015, Edge gradually replaced Internet Explorer.

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Microsoft has been pushing for users to switch to Edge for some time now, as well as issuing warnings that support for the browser may soon be discontinued.

“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.”


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