Microsoft Shutting Down Internet Explorer Browser After 27 Years

It's over for Internet Explorer!

Microsoft is shutting down the search engine, roughly 27 years after the company first debuted the browser, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Beginning Wednesday (June 15), many people who open Internet Explorer will be directed to the tech giant's newer browser, Microsoft Edge, according to The Telegraph.

In May 2021, the company wrote in a blog post they had started to shift from using Internet Explorer and were starting to push Microsoft Edge.

"Not only is Microsoft Edge a faster, more secure and more modern browsing experience than Internet Explorer, but it is also able to address a key concern: compatibility for older, legacy websites and applications," the post read. "Microsoft Edge has Internet Explorer mode (IE mode) built in, so you can access those legacy Internet Explorer-based websites and applications straight from Microsoft Edge."

After its global launch in 1995, Internet Explorer quickly became one of the most popular portals to access the web.

The Telegraph added that although the browser doesn't garner the same traffic it used to, many corporations still use the browser on internal applications.

In response, Microsoft explained they added an Internet Explorer mode on Microsoft Edge to allow such applications to still operate.

According to The Wall Street Journal, 28 percent of individuals still use Internet Explorer to access the web, citing web traffic site StatCounter.

Meanwhile, two-thirds of web users use Google Chrome, whereas 18 percent use Apple's Safari.

"It's sad to see it go," an individual who still uses Internet Explorer to surf the web told the paper, while another added: "I'm still trying to process it."