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Microsoft is signaling that it will kill off the remnants of Internet Explorer sometime after 2029, and it's nudging affected businesses and governments to prepare to migrate.
In 2023, the company retired the old-school browser on Windows PCs with an update that permanently disabled it. However, Internet Explorer lives on in the special IE mode on Microsoft’s Edge browser, which is preinstalled on the Windows OS.
Redmond kept IE Mode because some older websites in certain parts of the world, including government portals, are only accessible via Internet Explorer. But last week, Microsoft told IT administrators that IE mode won’t be around forever.
“IE mode is supported through at least the end of 2029, plan your migration,” the company wrote in the Microsoft 365 Message Center, which was spotted by Neowin.
Microsoft has mentioned the "at least 2029" support date before. But the fact that Redmond brought up the date again suggests the company is serious about phasing out the old browser technology sooner rather than later, especially after hackers exploited IE mode at least twice in 2024, including through a malicious pop-up ad.
In the message, Microsoft said it is "sharing this reminder so admins can plan migrations for legacy websites and applications that still depend on IE mode. Application modernization projects can take years to complete, depending on the number and complexity of dependencies, so early planning reduces the risk of disruption later.”
Once the company decides to officially kill off IE mode, Microsoft will provide “at least one year of notice," giving a little more time for affected enterprises and governments to make the switch.
About Our Expert
I've been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I'm currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country's technology sector.
Since 2020, I've covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I've combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink's cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I'm now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I'm always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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