Microsoft is pulling the plug on Internet Explorer next year, but it will continue to support IE mode in its Edge web browser

• Microsoft is retiring its Internet Explorer web browser after more than 25 years.
• The app is replaced by Microsoft Edge, which offers more speed and security, and a built-in "IE mode."
• As of June next year, the Internet Explorer 11 desktop application will no longer be supported.

Microsoft will no longer support the Internet Explorer web browser, the company said in a blog post on Wednesday.

"The future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge," the company said. "Not only is Microsoft Edge a faster, more secure and more modern browsing experience than Internet Explorer, but it is also able to address a key concern: compatibility for older, legacy websites and applications."

The 25-year-old application will be supported for just one more year, and will be retired as of June 15, 2022.

"Change was necessary, but we didn't want to leave reliable, still-functioning websites and applications behind," the company said.

The newer Edge browser boasts better compatibility, higher speed, and better security than its older sibling, plus Edge features a built-in "IE mode" for browsing legacy websites that still require the program.

$4, Microsoft has spent the last five years trying to get people to stop using Internet Explore, going so far as to label the app a "compatibility solution" rather than a web browser.

Edge is $4 from the browser's website, and users can import settings and passwords from Internet Explorer in a matter of clicks.

Microsoft also said that enterprise clients tend to have a "surprisingly large" number of legacy apps and websites accumulated over the years that still rely on Internet Explorer, and promised to support IE mode until at least 2029.