IE mode in Microsoft Edge is supported through at least 2029 on supported operating systems. Microsoft has not published a final retirement date and promises at least one year's notice. That commitment comes from Microsoft's lifecycle FAQ.
For someone trying to open an old application, the immediate answer depends on their Windows edition. Windows 11 provides IE mode through Edge. Ordinary Windows 10 editions have also moved to that route. Some specialist Windows 10 editions retain the standalone Internet Explorer browser, with support tied to their own Windows lifecycle.
Which versions of Windows can still run Internet Explorer?
There are two ways an application can use Internet Explorer technology:
- The standalone IE11 browser: the separate Internet Explorer application, with its own window.
- IE mode in Edge: a page opened inside Edge using Internet Explorer's older MSHTML engine. It can support legacy page behaviour and ActiveX controls such as Java. Microsoft's IE mode overview explains how it works.
The table describes Microsoft's official availability and support position. An old installation may still launch software after support ends; that does not mean it continues to receive fixes.
| Your Windows installation | Standalone Internet Explorer 11 | IE mode in Edge |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 11, including LTSC editions | No supported standalone IE browser | Yes, on supported Windows releases |
| Windows 10 Home or Pro; ordinary Enterprise or Education editions | Retired on 15 June 2022 and subsequently disabled on affected versions | Available; see the Windows 10 support qualification below |
| Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB or LTSC, including corresponding IoT long-term editions | Excluded from the 2022 retirement; support depends on the exact edition and release | Available on supported configurations; the Windows lifecycle still matters |
| Windows Server 2016, 2019 or 2022 with Desktop Experience | IE11 remains a Windows component, subject to that Server release's lifecycle and local configuration | Available on supported configurations |
| Windows Server 2025 | Standalone IE was removed | Use IE mode in Edge for compatible legacy sites |
| Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 | Older installations may still run IE11, but ordinary support has ended | No currently supported Edge route; Edge support ended at version 109 |
Microsoft documents the Windows 10 retirement and LTSC exceptions in its retirement announcement, and the Server versions in its IE lifecycle table. It separately confirms IE mode as the supported Windows 11 route, standalone IE's removal from Server 2025 and Edge's operating-system requirements.
If you do not know your edition, open Settings → System → About and look under Windows specifications. Record the full edition and version. “Windows 10 Enterprise” and “Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021” have different support histories.
What this means on an ordinary Windows 10 computer
For Windows 10 Home, Pro and the ordinary Enterprise and Education editions, IE mode is the route for compatible sites that still require Internet Explorer. The standalone browser's retirement happened in 2022.
Windows 10 itself then reached the end of ordinary support on 14 October 2025. Eligible devices can receive further operating-system security updates through the Extended Security Updates programme, usually shortened to ESU. Microsoft's Windows 10 release information distinguishes that programme from the separate LTSC lifecycles.
Edge has its own update commitment: Microsoft says Edge and WebView2 will receive updates on Windows 10 22H2 until at least October 2028, even without ESU enrolment. Those browser updates do not supply Windows security updates. IE mode relies on Windows components, so an updated Edge browser alone does not establish that the whole setup is supported. See Microsoft's Edge support policy for Windows 10.
This is why “IE mode is supported through at least 2029” cannot be read as permission to leave every Windows 10 computer unchanged until then.
The Windows 10 LTSC exceptions, with dates
LTSB and LTSC are Microsoft's long-term servicing editions. Their names matter because they were excluded from the ordinary Windows 10 IE11 retirement. Each release has its own Windows deadline.
| Windows 10 edition | Scheduled end of Windows support |
|---|---|
| Enterprise 2015 LTSB | 14 October 2025, already passed |
| Enterprise 2016 LTSB | 13 October 2026 |
| Enterprise LTSC 2019 | 9 January 2029 |
| Enterprise LTSC 2021 | 12 January 2027 |
| IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 | 13 January 2032 |
These dates are listed in Microsoft's Windows 10 release information. The 2032 date belongs specifically to IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021. Ordinary Enterprise LTSC 2021 reaches its scheduled end of support five years earlier.
For the editions where IE11 remains supported, Microsoft treats it as a Windows component whose support follows the host product. That explains how a standalone IE installation can have a different deadline from an ordinary Windows 10 PC. It does not establish a universal IE mode retirement date. Microsoft's lifecycle FAQ sets out that component policy, including possible ESU qualifications.
Does IE mode switch off in 2029?
No shutdown on a particular day in 2029 has been announced in Microsoft's public lifecycle policy. “At least 2029” is the minimum commitment, with at least a year's notice before retirement. An extension is possible, but has not been promised. Microsoft's published commitment is the source to check for changes.
There is also a practical difference between support ending and software being disabled. Ending support concerns updates and assistance. A product removal or disabling change needs its own announcement. The standalone browser went through both events on affected Windows 10 systems; its history does not provide a scheduled switch-off date for IE mode.
If your application needs attention now, use our guide to opening a site in IE mode. If you are planning ahead, start with the full Windows edition and its support date, then establish what else the application needs.
Java has its own retirement history
If your application uses a Java applet, you may have encountered several other end-of-support headlines.
Oracle removed the Java plugin, Java Web Start and related deployment tools from JDK 11. Much later, JDK 26 removed the Applet API itself. These changes concern different parts of Java, and neither announces the retirement date of Edge's IE mode. See Oracle's JDK 11 migration guide and its Java 26 release announcement.
These release changes also do not reach back and remove components from an older runtime already installed on a computer. They do help explain why installing a newer JDK may fail to restore an old applet's launch mechanism.
If the dependency is unclear, start with how to identify what your old Java application needs. That guide separates embedded applets, JNLP launches and page-level IE requirements, so you can investigate the right component.
What should you do while IE mode remains available?
Start with the application someone would miss if it stopped opening tomorrow. Ask that person to demonstrate a complete task, and keep a short record of the steps and expected result. Include any printing, exports or interactions with other software.
For an organisation using an Enterprise Mode Site List, the list provides a starting inventory of configured sites. Microsoft documents how these lists control which pages open in IE mode. Review the entries with their application owners to establish what people still use. Microsoft's policy guide explains the configuration.
For each application, answer four practical questions:
- What specifically requires IE mode?
- Who maintains the application or can explain its dependencies?
- Which alternative is worth testing first?
- What result would demonstrate that users can complete their work through that alternative?
You can investigate one application at a time. Keep the working configuration available during evaluation, record failures and give regular users a chance to compare the results. That produces a migration plan grounded in the application you have.
The next useful milestone is a completed test of a real task. Once you have that result, you can decide what to change, what needs more work and when a switch would be reasonable.
