Microsoft is finally pulling the plug on Internet Explorer. According to the company, the browser will be laid to rest a year from now – on August 17, 2021. Internet Explorer’s final iteration – version 11 – is the last major update.
Starting November 30, 2020, Microsoft Teams web app will drop support for IE 11. Later starting August 17, 2021, the rest of Microsoft 365 apps and services will follow suit.
In a blog post, the company explained that the IE 11 would be unable to connect to Microsoft 365 apps and services. There’s a chance you will access Microsoft 365 apps and services, but the experience will be degraded. Some features may not work.
The replacement? The new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge. Legacy third-party IE 11 apps will continue to function, however. Microsoft is even offering a helping hand to ensure a smooth transition to Edge – its modern browser solution.
Chromium-based Microsoft Edge has IE mode which provides a simple workaround to still use IE 11’s Trident MSHTML engine for legacy sites.
“When a site loads in IE mode, the IE logo indicator displays on the left side of navigation bar,” says Microsoft.
However, a disclaimer here is that the Edge built-in workaround won’t extend IE 11 access to Microsoft 365 apps and services beyond the dates listed.
Microsoft started working on the new Edge, released in January, two years ago based on the Chromium open-source engine. The new Edge was destined to replace IE from the beginning.
Microsoft also announced ending support for the Microsoft Edge Legacy desktop app on March 9, 2021.
