Internet Explorer 11

Internet Explorer 11
Developer(s)Microsoft
Initial releaseOctober 17, 2013; 11 years ago (2013-10-17)[1]
Stable release
11.0 (11.0.9600.22069) / July 9, 2024; 4 months ago (2024-07-09)[2]
EngineMSHTML v8.0, Chakra
Operating systemWindows 7 SP1
Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1
Windows Embedded 8 Standard
Windows Server 2012
PlatformIA-32, x64, and ARM
Included withWindows 8.1
Windows RT
Windows Server 2012 R2
Windows 10
Windows Server 2016
Windows Server 2019
Windows Server 2022
PredecessorInternet Explorer 10 (2012)
SuccessorMicrosoft Edge (2015)
Size28–53 MB
LicenseProprietary, requires a Windows license[3]
Websitewww.microsoft.com/en-us/download/internet-explorer.aspx

Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) is the eleventh and final version of the Internet Explorer web browser. It was initially included in the release of Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 on October 17, 2013, and was later released for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 on November 7, 2013. It is the successor to Internet Explorer 10, released the previous year, and was the original, default browser in Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2, before Microsoft Edge was introduced. Internet Explorer 11 was also included in the release of Windows 10 on July 29, 2015, as well as in Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server 2019. On April 16, 2019, Internet Explorer 11 was made available to Windows Server 2012 and Windows Embedded 8 Standard, the only still supported edition of Windows 8 as the final expansion of Internet Explorer 11 availability.[4][5] Internet Explorer 11, like its predecessor, is not available for Windows 8, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, and earlier versions of Windows and Windows Server.

On January 12, 2016, Microsoft adjusted their product lifecycle policies to only support the most recent version of Internet Explorer offered for any given version of Windows.[6] Support for Internet Explorer 11, now regarded as an "OS component", is bound to the version of the Windows it is installed on. Thus, Microsoft provides updates only to currently supported versions of Windows. This includes Windows 10 LTSC (formerly LTSB), and supported Windows Server versions, which will continue to receive IE11 updates until their respective end-of-support dates. The exception to this is the Windows 10 Semi-Annual Channel (SAC). For SAC versions of Windows 10, Internet Explorer 11 support ended on June 15, 2022, Internet Explorer was permanently disabled on February 14, 2023, and any remaining icons or shortcuts were due to be removed on June 13, 2023. However, on May 19, 2023, various organizations disapproved, leading Microsoft to withdraw the change.[7][8] IE11 can still be accessed in some capacity with a third-party method.

IE Mode, a feature of Microsoft Edge, enables Edge to display web pages using Internet Explorer 11's Trident layout engine and other core components.[9] Through IE Mode, the underlying technology of Internet Explorer 11 partially exists on Windows that do not support Internet Explorer as a proper application, such as Windows 11 and later versions that derive from the Windows 11 codebase.[10] Microsoft has announced support for IE Mode through at least 2029, with a one-year advance notice prior to retiring this variant of IE11.[7]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference win81-is-available-now was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ KB5040426: Cumulative security update for Internet Explorer: January 9, 2024
  3. ^ "Microsoft Pre-Release Software License Terms: Internet Explorer 11 Developer Preview". microsoft.com. Microsoft. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
  4. ^ "IE11 coming to Windows Embedded 8 Standard!". Microsoft. January 28, 2019. Archived from the original on September 23, 2022. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  5. ^ Tung, Liam. "Microsoft makes final push to rid world of Internet Explorer 10". ZDNet. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  6. ^ "Support for older versions of Internet Explorer ends on January 12, 2016". Microsoft. Archived from the original on January 9, 2016. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Lifecycle FAQ - Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge". November 3, 2021. Archived from the original on June 13, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  8. ^ "Internet Explorer 11 desktop app retirement FAQ". Microsoft. June 13, 2022. Archived from the original on June 13, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  9. ^ "What is Internet Explorer (IE) mode?". March 2, 2022. Archived from the original on June 13, 2022. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
  10. ^ Tom Warren (June 25, 2021). "Windows 11 is deleting Internet Explorer". The Verge. Retrieved August 12, 2021.