What Happened to Internet Explorer?
Internet Explorer was Microsoft's web browser that dominated the internet from the mid-1990s to early 2000s, reaching over 95% market share at its peak. The browser gradually lost ground to competitors like Firefox, Chrome, and Safari due to security issues, slow innovation, and poor standards compliance. Microsoft officially retired Internet Explorer in 2022, ending a 27-year run.
Quick Answer
Internet Explorer was officially discontinued by Microsoft on June 15, 2022, after 27 years of service. The browser lost its dominant market position to competitors like Google Chrome due to security vulnerabilities, slow performance, and lack of modern web standards support. Microsoft replaced it with Edge browser in 2015, and IE's market share had fallen to less than 1% by the time of its retirement.
📊Key Facts
📅Complete Timeline15 events
Internet Explorer 1.0 Launches
Microsoft releases Internet Explorer 1.0 as an add-on for Windows 95. The browser was based on Spyglass Mosaic technology and marked Microsoft's entry into the browser market.
Browser Wars Begin
Internet Explorer 3.0 launches with significant improvements and begins serious competition with Netscape Navigator. Microsoft starts bundling IE with Windows, leading to antitrust concerns.
Internet Explorer 6 Released
IE6 launches with Windows XP and becomes the most widely used browser version. Despite its success, this version would later be criticized for security vulnerabilities and lack of updates.
Peak Market Dominance
Internet Explorer reaches its highest market share of approximately 95%, effectively monopolizing the web browser market and leading to a period of stagnation in browser innovation.
Firefox Challenges IE
Mozilla Firefox 1.0 is released, offering better security, tabbed browsing, and web standards compliance. This marks the beginning of IE's market share decline.
IE7 Attempts Comeback
After five years without major updates, Microsoft releases Internet Explorer 7 with tabbed browsing and improved security features, trying to compete with Firefox.
Google Chrome Enters Market
Google launches Chrome browser with superior speed and performance, beginning the most serious threat to Internet Explorer's dominance.
Chrome Overtakes IE
Google Chrome surpasses Internet Explorer in global market share for the first time, marking a historic shift in browser preferences and ending IE's decade-long dominance.
IE11 Final Major Release
Microsoft releases Internet Explorer 11, which would be the final major version of the browser, featuring improved performance and better web standards support.
Microsoft Edge Launches
Microsoft introduces Edge browser with Windows 10 as IE's intended successor, signaling the company's intention to move away from the Internet Explorer brand.
IE Support Ends for Older Versions
Microsoft ends support for Internet Explorer versions 8, 9, and 10, maintaining support only for IE11 while encouraging users to switch to Edge.
New Chromium-based Edge
Microsoft releases a new version of Edge built on Google's Chromium engine, further distancing itself from Internet Explorer technology.
IE Retirement Announced
Microsoft officially announces that Internet Explorer will be retired on June 15, 2022, ending nearly three decades of service.
Internet Explorer Officially Retired
Microsoft ends support for Internet Explorer, redirecting users to Edge browser. This marks the official end of IE after 27 years of operation.
Final Market Share: 0.64%
At the time of retirement, Internet Explorer held just 0.64% of the global browser market share, a dramatic fall from its 95%+ peak in the early 2000s.
🔍Deep Dive Analysis
Internet Explorer's rise and fall represents one of the most dramatic shifts in technology history. Launched in 1995 as part of Microsoft's response to Netscape Navigator, IE quickly became the dominant web browser through aggressive bundling with Windows and the famous "browser wars" of the late 1990s. By 2003, Internet Explorer held over 95% of the browser market share, effectively creating a web browsing monopoly (Source: StatCounter, 2003).
However, Microsoft's complacency during its period of dominance proved fatal. Between 2001 and 2006, the company released no major updates to IE6, allowing the browser to fall behind in security, performance, and web standards compliance. This stagnation opened the door for Mozilla Firefox in 2004 and later Google Chrome in 2008, both of which offered faster, more secure, and more feature-rich browsing experiences (Source: Mozilla Foundation, 2004).
The browser's reputation was severely damaged by numerous security vulnerabilities and its resistance to adopting modern web standards. Web developers increasingly viewed IE as an obstacle, often requiring separate code to ensure websites functioned properly. Chrome's launch in 2008 marked the beginning of IE's rapid decline, with Google's browser eventually capturing over 60% market share by 2016 (Source: StatCounter, 2016).
Recognizing IE's irreparable brand damage, Microsoft launched Edge browser in 2015 with Windows 10, initially as IE's intended successor. However, even Edge struggled initially, and Microsoft eventually rebuilt it using Google's Chromium engine in 2020. On June 15, 2022, Microsoft officially ended support for Internet Explorer, redirecting users to Edge and marking the end of an era in web browsing history (Source: Microsoft, 2022).