The future of Internet Explorer (“IE”) on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge. What does this mean for commercial organizations, IT admins, developers, and end users? Microsoft Edge brings you a faster, more secure, and more modern web experience than Internet Explorer. Also, Microsoft Edge with Internet Explorer mode (“IE mode”), is the only browser with built-in compatibility for legacy IE-based sites and apps. As announced on Mat 19, 2021, Microsoft Edge with IE mode is officially replacing the Internet Explorer 11 desktop application on Windows 10. As a result, the Internet Explorer 11 desktop application will go out of support and be retired on June 15, 2022 for certain versions of Windows 10.
Which platforms will be affected when the IE11 desktop application is retired and goes out of support on June 15, 2022?
In scope at the time of this announcement (will be retired):
Out of scope at the time of this announcement (unaffected):
What about Windows 10 LTSC and Windows Server?
In-market Windows 10 LTSC and Windows Server are out of scope (unaffected) for this change.
What if Microsoft Edge is already installed?
Great! You already have a faster, more secure, and more modern browser than Internet Explorer and have completed some of the steps to help with your migration. If you’re an organization, the next steps will be to determine if your organization has legacy browser dependencies. To enable legacy browser support in Microsoft Edge, you’ll need to set up Internet Explorer mode. Learn more on our Internet Explorer mode webpage and read the Getting Started guide.
What does this announcement mean for my organization?
If your organization has legacy apps and sites dependent on IE11, you can follow the Getting Started Guide to start configuring IE mode. You may be concerned about change management, so please check out the Internet Explorer Retirement Adoption Kit for ready-made content to help you notify users and leaders in your organization about the upcoming changes and help move them to Microsoft Edge.
What does this announcement mean for developers?
Apps developed for IE should work in Microsoft Edge through IE mode. If you encounter an issue, contact App Assure for remediation assistance (ACHELP@microsoft.com).
For developers working on modern websites or applications, we understand that it has been increasingly difficult to support Internet Explorer side-by-side with modern browsers. While this announcement will start the transition of moving users from Internet Explorer to the more modern Microsoft Edge browser, it will take time and we recommend that you develop a plan to end support for Internet Explorer. Read this Moving users to Microsoft Edge from Internet Explorer article to learn how we can help.
What does this announcement mean for end users?
Microsoft Edge offers a faster, more secure, and modern browsing experience than Internet Explorer, and a growing number of websites no longer support Internet Explorer. After the Internet Explorer desktop application is retired on June 15, 2022, it will be out of support. After this date, the IE11 desktop application will be disabled and will redirect to Microsoft Edge if a user tries to access it.
If a user encounters a broken website that requires IE11, they should open it in IE mode. They can open websites that require Internet Explorer without leaving Microsoft Edge. Learn more about Internet Explorer mode in Microsoft Edge.
What is the MSHTML (Trident) engine? How does that relate to IE mode?
The MSHTML (Trident) engine is the underlying platform for Internet Explorer 11. This is the same engine used by IE mode and it will continue to be supported (in other words, unaffected by this announcement). WebOC will also continue to be supported. If you have a custom or third-party app that relies on the MSHTML platform, you can expect it to continue to work. For future app development, we recommend using WebView2.
How long will IE mode be supported?
IE mode support follows the lifecycle of Windows client, Server, and IoT releases at least through 2029. Additionally, Microsoft will give one year of notice before retiring the IE mode experience when the time comes. Windows support dates are documented on the Product Lifecycle page. Some editions of Windows may require an ESU license, if available, to receive operating system security updates beyond end of support dates. End of service dates for currently supported versions of Windows are as follows:
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