Microsoft has unveiled a plan to phase out Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) and the legacy Edge browser, as its Chromium-based Edge browser continues to gain popularity. Microsoft’s timeline for this phase-out initiative begins with the departure of IE11 on November 30. The legacy Edge browser will reach its end of life in March 2021. This decision follows Microsoft’s release of the Chromium-based Edge browser for all supported versions of Windows and macOS, which initially launched as a preview.
According to an official blog post, the Microsoft Teams Web app will cease support for IE11 on November 30, while the remaining Microsoft 365 apps and services will no longer support the browser starting from August 17, 2021. After these specified dates, users will either experience a degraded performance or be unable to connect to Microsoft 365 apps and services when using IE11.
It’s important to note that Microsoft’s end of support for IE11 does not mean the complete removal of the browser. Microsoft acknowledges that some customers have made business-critical investments in legacy apps that rely on IE11 and respects that these apps are still operational. However, the company aims to transition its existing customers to the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge over time.
The modern Edge browser includes a dedicated Internet Explorer mode to allow users to continue having the IE11 experience. Microsoft also emphasizes that the new browser delivers faster and more responsive web access to Microsoft 365 subscribers.
In addition to phasing out IE11, Microsoft is discontinuing its legacy Edge browser, which was based on the proprietary EdgeHTML engine rather than the open-source Chromium project. Support for the legacy Edge browser will end on March 9, 2021, which means no new security updates will be provided after that date.
While Microsoft has not disclosed the exact number of users still on the legacy Edge browser, the company mentioned that it has successfully upgraded “most of” its Windows 10 users to the new Edge browser. Recent reports also indicate that Microsoft Edge has secured the second spot in terms of popularity among desktop web browsers, surpassing Mozilla Firefox and approaching Google Chrome.
In January, Microsoft officially launched the Chromium-based Edge browser out of preview and made it available for all supported Windows and macOS devices. Additionally, the new Edge browser has been distributed via Windows Update since June. Microsoft also plans to bundle the Chromium-based Edge with Windows 10, beginning with the release of Windows 10 20H2.