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Topics: Microsoft, Technology, News
Daisy Phillipson
This month marks the end of an era as Microsoft continues with its plans to phase out Internet Explorer.
Any 90s kids out there will have fond memories of the web browser during the early days of the internet – or World Wide Web, as it was first known back then.
Having launched in 1995, it was once the most used web browser, reaching its peak in 2003 with around 95% usage share.
However, with the rise of competitive services like Apple's Safari and Google's Chrome, the tech giant has slowly been phasing out its classic service replacing it with Microsoft Edge, said to feature improved security, privacy and speed.
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As such, from next Wednesday, 15 June, Internet Explorer 11 – the last major version of the browser – will no longer be supported for devices operating on Windows 10 20H2 and later.
Speaking about the news last year, Microsoft Edge program manager Sean Lyndersay said 'the future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge'.
He continued: "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.
"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.
"With Microsoft Edge capable of assuming this responsibility and more, the Internet Explorer 11 desktop application will be retired and go out of support on June 15, 2022, for certain versions of Windows 10."
Phasing out Internet Explorer has always been the plan ever since the release of Microsoft Edge back in 2015, which any user will know offers a more streamlined and secure browsing experience.
If the change applies to the operating service you're on, don't fret – you can download the latest version of the browser here. And if anything's not clear to you, the company offers tonnes of information on its FAQ section.
All that being said, it's likely you're one of the billions of people who use Google Chrome today. In fact, recent statistics from atlasVPN show that Microsoft Edge falls drastically behind on user figures with just 171,327,607 compared to Chrome's 3,258,256,887.
It's perhaps for this reason that Windows users recently reported receiving messages urging them to use Microsoft Edge when they went to download Chrome.
A number of people took to Twitter to discuss the various pop-ups they'd received, with one which read: "Microsoft Edge runs on the same technology as Chrome, with the added trust of Microsoft."
Another message cited by The Verge stated, “'I hate saving money,’ said no one ever. Microsoft Edge is the best browser for online shopping."
Whatever the case, it appears the attempts to deter people from Google's service didn't quite go to plan, as it remains to be the most popular browser by far.
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