Retirement of Internet Explorer
Microsoft officially discontinued support for Internet Explorer (IE) on June 15, 2022. Here's a timeline detailing the phase-out:
- August 17, 2020: Microsoft announced the retirement plan for Internet Explorer.
- November 30, 2020: Microsoft Teams ceased support for IE 11.
- December 31, 2020: Azure DevOps Services discontinued IE 11 support.
- March 31, 2021: Azure Portal stopped supporting IE 11.
- August 17, 2021: Microsoft ended support for IE 11 across various web services including Office 365, OneDrive, and Outlook.
- June 15, 2022: Complete end of support for IE 11 by Microsoft.
Related Developments
Windows 11 and Internet Explorer
- June 24, 2021: Internet Explorer is disabled in Windows 11, as per the Windows 11 specifications.
Transition to Microsoft Edge
- June 15, 2020: Internet Explorer was effectively replaced by Edge in Windows 10.
- March 9, 2021: Support ended for Microsoft Edge Legacy, which used Microsoft's EdgeHTML and Chakra JavaScript engine.
- April 13, 2021: Subsequent Windows updates removed Edge Legacy.
The New Microsoft Edge
The latest version of Microsoft Edge is based on the Chromium platform, utilizing the Blink and V8 engines. Released in January 2020, it's available on Windows 7, 8, 10, macOS, iOS, and Android. The browser updates approximately every six weeks under the Modern Lifecycle Policy.
Impact on Other Services
- March 28, 2022: Google Ad Manager stopped supporting ad serving for IE versions 11 and below.
- October 1, 2021: Google Search ended support for IE 11.
- March 15, 2021: Google Workspace phased out support for IE 11.
Continuing Compatibility
Internet Explorer 11 remains a component of older Windows operating systems under the Lifecycle Policy. However, to facilitate the transition from IE, Microsoft Edge now includes an Internet Explorer Mode. This feature provides backward compatibility, enabling the continued use of legacy web applications reliant on Internet Explorer technologies like ActiveX components.
