RIP Internet Explorer: Once-Dominant Web Browser is Officially Dead

Microsoft officially retired its once-dominant web browser, Internet Explorer, on June 15, 2022. The tech company announced last year its plans to stop supporting the Internet Explorer 11 in certain versions of Windows 10 and fulfilled their promise. Launched in 1995 as an add-on package for Windows 95, it has provided internet services for over 25 years. By 2004, Internet Explorer’s market share was about 95%.

For a long time, Internet Explorer was a de facto web browser and came pre-installed on every Windows PC. But over time, other internet browsers such as Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox gained popularity. They brought along speed and modernized user experience. 

The rise of smartphone and tablet usage also played a role in Internet Explorer’s decline. According to Statcounter, internet access via mobile devices surpassed the use of PCs globally in 2016.  Android and iPhone devices came pre-installed with Google Chrome and Safari browsers, respectively, pushing the aging browser out of competition. 

What Next for Internet Explorer Users?

“The future of Internet Explorer is in Microsoft Edge,” that’s the message from Microsoft. When you now try to click on Internet Explorer’s icon to open it, Microsoft Edge will open instead. Edge is faster, modern, more compatible, more productive, and more secure. Microsoft has been focusing on developing Edge in recent years. They designed it specifically for the modern web and to keep up with the competition.

Edge has an inbuilt “IE mode” for developers who want to access Internet Explorer’s legacy applications. This makes Edge compatible with older websites developed based on Internet Explorer. In a way, Edge is like the future and the past in one package.

For many, Internet Explorer was a gateway to the internet in the 90s. Despite being obsolete today, it remains part of their lives. For now, Edge has officially taken up the mantle. What’s unclear is whether it will surpass its predecessor’s legacy, or it will lag behind while other web browsers lead.