Microsoft is ending support for Internet Explorer mode in Edge, and it is giving admins a full year’s warning to plan for it. The notice, posted in the Microsoft 365 admin center under message ID MC1473151, tells organizations that still depend on IE-only applications to start planning their migrations now.
The change shuts down the final leftover way to use Internet Explorer’s rendering engine, which has lingered inside Microsoft’s more recent Edge browser as a compatibility tool. Edge runs on Google’s open-source Chromium foundation, but IE mode allows it to display pages using Trident, the older engine that drove Internet Explorer 11. That engine is now being sent to the scrap heap.
The Notice and Its Warning
According to gHacks Tech News, Microsoft has told IT administrators that Internet Explorer mode in Edge will continue to be supported through at least the end of 2029. The reminder shows up in the Microsoft 365 admin center with message ID MC1473151.
A year before the deadline arrives, the company has promised to announce the end of support for its product. This advance notice is meant to allow administrators sufficient time to rebuild or replace any internal software that relies on it, a process that can itself span several years.
The notice is a clear signal that the long-running IE mode story is drawing to a close. After years of gradual withdrawal, Microsoft has attached a specific date to the feature’s future — and the warning gives organizations a concrete timeline to work against.
The Compatibility Feature at Stake
For context, IE mode is a compatibility feature inside Edge. It is the only remaining way to run IE’s rendering engine on current versions of Windows. Edge itself is built on Google’s open-source Chromium engine, but IE mode lets it load pages with Trident, the older engine that powered Internet Explorer 11.
gHacks reports that Microsoft first flagged IE mode’s eventual retirement in 2021. The current notice represents the next step along that path of gradual withdrawal.
Organizations with no IE dependencies don’t need to take any action. For companies that still depend on it, Microsoft’s guidance is to identify what depends on IE mode and update or replace it.
The Long Wind-Down
This announcement marks a final move in a drawn-out wind-down process. The company officially put the standalone Internet Explorer 11 browser to rest in June 2022, some 26 years after it first appeared attached to early editions of Windows.
Once the push started, Microsoft directed anyone attempting to open IE toward Edge instead. The majority of users had already moved on by then. When it was retired, IE held under 1 percent of the browser market, per StatCounter data from that period.
| Stage | Date | Action |
|---|---|---|
| IE mode’s eventual retirement flagged | 2021 | First flagging of IE mode’s eventual retirement |
| Standalone IE 11 retired | June 2022 | Official end of the standalone browser |
| IE mode support through | End of 2029 | Final supported date, per the notice |
| End-of-support date announced | Coming soon | At least a year before it takes effect |
That timeline places the end-of-support date far enough out that administrators should have ample room to complete their migrations, though the urgency of the notice means there is no reason to wait. The warning is pushing firms to begin preparations at once, and the announcement of the end date comes at least a year before the deadline actually arrives.
Who Is Affected
This warning applies to organizations that still rely on applications built solely for Internet Explorer. These companies should begin their planning right away. The recommendation is to determine which systems depend on IE mode and then either update them or replace them entirely.
Admins find the warning offers comfort in some respects while raising concerns in others. Comfort comes from Microsoft finally attaching a specific date to IE mode. Trouble arises because the migration process may last years, and the notice is already urging them to begin preparations at once.
The Verdict
This is a relief. Internet Explorer mode, the last place IE’s old engine lived, is finally getting an end-date — and Microsoft gave admins a full year’s warning so they can plan the migration.
Years ago, the old engine died in practical terms, with the standalone browser vanishing in 2022. By the time it went, IE had dropped to less than 1 percent of the browser market.
This move will not happen overnight, and the warning is pushing firms to begin preparations at once. Businesses that have already left Internet Explorer behind will find nothing new here. Those who remain tied to IE-only software face a date they must treat as urgent.
Source material: “Microsoft is ending support for Internet Explorer mode in Edge,” Mashable.
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