This new step is part of Microsoft’s IE11 demise

Jul 26, 2021 18:09 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft has recently reminded the world that it’s getting ready to drop support for Internet Explorer 11 from the Microsoft 365 suite, with all apps and services relying on this browser to offer a degraded experience or even fail to connect after this date is reached.

The whole thing is projected to happen on August 17, and Microsoft says the transition will happen gradually to make sure customers aren’t impacted by the demise of IE11.

For example, users logging in to the Outlook Web App with AAD accounts will no longer get any features, while Microsoft Account users will be redirected to the Outlook Web App Light experience if they use Internet Explorer 11.

All-in on the Chromium-based Edge

In addition, the company says some features, such as the View in File Explorer option in SharePoint, will enter a maintenance mode to ensure a smooth end of support.

“We understand that some customers may continue to use Open with Explorer and View in File Explorer (only accessible in IE11) to access document libraries. To avoid disruption, these customers will be able to use these features for now when they go to a document library in IE11. These features remain in maintenance mode and aren't receiving further development. We encourage all customers to move to a modern browser and OneDrive sync for a better user experience and easier access to files,” the company says.

Microsoft announced the retirement of Internet Explorer in August 2020, and the first step towards the demise of the browser has already been made in November last year when Microsoft Teams stopped supporting this application.

Furthermore, the software giant dropped support for Microsoft Edge legacy in March this year, thus paving the way for a full transition from all previous browsers to the almighty Chromium-powered Microsoft Edge.