Microsoft’s internet explorer is one of the oldest web browsers and one that most of us millennials started our web journey on. Sadly, Microsoft has dropped the support for the longest default browser on any OS new Chromium-based browser, the new Microsoft Edge. But why exactly did Microsoft stop supporting Internet Explorer and what are your alternatives? Let’s find out!
Why is Internet Explorer dead?
Internet Explorer is dead for a couple of reasons. Let’s take a look at them.
Support
Microsoft has decided to stop supporting IE 11 in Office 365 and other Microsoft apps which is the last and the latest update to the legacy browser. This means that your Office 365 apps will no longer work with the browser and other services like Microsoft Teams web app will stop supporting the browser as well.
Microsoft Edge
Microsoft has been developing its chromium-based alternative, Edge for quite some time now. The browser has gotten significantly better over the years and this is another way of Microsoft pushing people to switch to their new and supported browser.
Lack of Support
With chromium-based browsers being the most popular on the market currently, more and more websites are introducing new and improved features keeping them in mind, which in turn is causing issues with the older legacy version of Internet Explorer, or the old Microsoft Edge browser that was IE based only. With the whole world moving towards Chromium-based browsers that offer better security, RAM management, extensions, and more, there was no point for Microsoft to keep supporting Internet Explorer 11.
When will Internet Explorer be discontinued?
The support for IE 11 will be stopped in batches and it will be completely dropped from support by the same time next year. Here is the entire timeline for Microsoft dropping support for IE 11.
- 30th November 2020: Microsoft Teams web app will stop supporting Internet Explorer 11.
- 9th March 2021: Microsoft Edge Legacy will also drop support.
- 17th August 2021: Microsoft 365 office apps will drop support for IE 11.
Will I be able to use IE 11 after support is dropped?
Of course, as long as you have the application installed on your device, you will be able to use IE 11. But you will end up facing more and more compatibility issues as Microsoft along with third-party apps will drop support for the browser.
What are the risks of using IE 11 after support is dropped?
Every browser constantly gets security updates to patch and fix bugs and exploits that could compromise your privacy and private data. To ensure that you have a secure connection and do not compromise on safety, we highly recommend you switch to a different browser after support is dropped for IE 11.
Alternatives to Internet Explorer
Here are some incredible browsers you can jump to as IE going down now.
Microsoft Edge
You should give Microsoft Edge a go before you decide to try any other browser. It has gotten major updates in the past few months that have increased its performance tremendously compared to its competitors. It is chromium based which means that you can install 3rd-party extensions and tools to your browser. The best part of Microsoft Edge is the support for the Chrome web store.
You can install extensions for Google Chrome to Microsoft Edge as well which gives you a huge library of extensions to choose from. This can seriously increase productivity for you if your workflow is mostly browser-based. Another advantage of using Microsoft Edge would be the switching. Microsoft allows seamless transfer of data between the two browsers which ensures a hassle-free first-time setup.
Google Chrome
Google Chrome is the most popular browser currently available on the market. It comes with a wide variety of functions including things like hardware acceleration and support for a huge library of extensions. Google Chrome is quite lightweight though notorious for using large amounts of RAM. It is ideal for most PCs but you should look into Mozilla Firefox if you are running low on RAM.
Mozilla Firefox
Mozilla Firefox is a privacy-focused browser that is quite lightweight and does not take a significant chunk of your RAM memory no matter how many tabs you may have open. It has a smaller library of extensions and tools but contains the most popular ones which should cover you in case you aren’t looking for something unique and niche. Mozilla Firefox is the perfect choice for people that are worried about privacy and do not wish to share their data with Google or Microsoft.
We hope this guide helped you get familiar with the demise of Internet Explorer 11. If you have any more questions, feel free to reach out to us using the comments section below.
