After being the main entry to the Internet in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Internet Explorer (IE) is gone. In June, Microsoft dropped the web browser from support.
IE ushered in the age of connection to the world in 1995 and held a majority of the browser market share for many years. In 2014, Internet Explorer still held about 59% of the global market share, with Chrome at 21%. But just two years later, IE lost its top spot to Chrome and trailed behind another newcomer, Safari.
In 2015, the writing was already on the wall when Microsoft released a new browser, Edge. Edge was destined to take IE’s place as the official browser installed on Windows systems.
It’s inevitable, the longer technology is driving work and home life, that we’re going to lose some of our favorites. Adobe Flash Player is another technology that used to be widely used and is now gone. So, now that IE has reached its end of life (EOL), what happens next?
Microsoft Will Redirect Users to IE Mode in Edge
According to Microsoft, now that IE is officially out of support, it will redirect users. A new experience is underway. Those opening this outdated browser will instead land in Microsoft Edge with IE mode.
To ease the transition away from Internet Explorer, Microsoft added IE Mode to Edge. This mode makes it possible for organizations to still use legacy sites that may have worked best in IE.
When in IE mode, you’ll still see the Internet Explorer icon on your device. But if you open it, you’ll actually be in Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Will Be Removing Internet Explorer Icons in the Future
Microsoft isn’t yet getting rid of the IE icons that appear in places like the taskbar and Start menu on Windows. But it will in a future update. Users can expect to see those removed at some point.
Edge Will Import Browser Data from IE
What about your favorites, saved passwords, and other settings that you have in IE? Microsoft Edge will import these from Internet Explorer for you, so they’re not lost.
This will include things like your browsing history and other data stored in the browser. You’ll then be able to access these in the Microsoft Edge’s settings area.
With IE Retired, What Do You Need to Do Now?
Uninstall Internet Explorer. It’s risky to keep older technology that is no longer supported on your system.
Cybercriminals love to exploit older tools that are not receiving any security updates. This leaves an open invitation to breach your network and steal your confidential data.