Internet Explorer mode on Edge is staying till 2029, but Microsoft has issued a reminder to businesses

Microsoft has sent IT administrators another reminder that the Internet Explorer mode inside Microsoft Edge is only guaranteed to stay “at least” until the end of 2029.

The notice was published in the Microsoft 365 Message Center. The information isn’t new, but Microsoft has just issued a reminder about it. The timeline was originally shared several years ago, in 2021. Organizations that still rely on the feature are recommended to start planning for moving away from it.

The browser, Internet Explorer, was retired entirely years ago. What remains is just a compatibility mode in Edge. It can open older websites and internal business apps that were built for Internet Explorer. The mode uses an old engine (Trident), which is what these sites were designed around.

For companies with internal tools that were built for this browser, it remains relevant. Support will continue until 2029. After that, the company will give at least one full year of written notice before the feature is entirely turned off.

If a company does not use Internet Explorer mode, nothing happens, and there’s no action that’s required. While organizations that do rely on it can continue using it for now, it’s recommended to start planning. Porting tools over and modernizing legacy websites can take several years or months depending on how many there are, and how complicated they can get.

Admins are recommended to list business-critical websites and applications that need IE mode, and then decide whether it can be updated, moved to a new host, replaced, or rebuilt for currently supported/popular browser engines. If your organization runs into issues with compatibility, you can also request free help through Microsoft’s App Assure program.

More information about IE Mode is available through this link. Microsoft also conducted an FAQ session about the situation.

In other Edge news, Microsoft has begun integrating the browser within Copilot itself. More on that here.

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