Microsoft is finally drawing curtains on Internet Explorer, one of its most popular search engine browsers, after being in service for twenty-seven (27) years. The web browser is officially set to retire on June 15, 2022.

Released in 1995, Internet Explorer was announced first as part of the add-on package for Windows 95 that year.

It was, however, later provided as free downloads, or in-service packs, and included in the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) service releases of Windows 95 and later versions of Windows.

However, new feature development for the browser was discontinued in 2016 in favor of the new web browser, Microsoft Edge.

RELATED: Download Internet Explorer For Windows 11

In May 2021, the company had announced as of June 15, 2022, Internet Explorer 11 (IE11) desktop application will no longer be supported on Windows 10 Semi-Annual Channels and Windows 10 IoT Semi-Annual Channels.

The company also encouraged its customers to move to Microsoft Edge, the successor of IE, which provides support for legacy and modern websites and apps.

It added that organizations, which are dependent on legacy Internet Explorer-based sites and apps, will be able to access them through a special IE Mode from Microsoft Edge.

However, this retirement does not affect Windows 10 LTSC or Windows Server IE11 desktop applications. It also does not affect the MSHTML (Trident) engine.

“We are announcing that the future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge. 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. Microsoft Edge has Internet Explorer mode (“IE mode”) built-in, so you can access those legacy Internet Explorer-based websites and applications straight from Microsoft Edge,” the company said in a blog post.

“With Microsoft Edge capable of assuming this responsibility and more, the Internet Explorer 11 desktop application will be retired and go out of support on June 15, 2022, for certain versions of Windows 10.”

Internet Explorer was once the most widely used web browser, attaining a peak of about 95% usage share by 2003.

However, its usage share began to decline with the launch of its competitors like Firefox (2004) and Google Chrome (2008), and with the growing popularity of mobile operating systems such as Android and iOS that do not support Internet Explorer.

Netizens took to Twitter to bid adieu to the aging browser in form of posts and memes, which are equally hilarious as well as nostalgic. Let’s have a look at some of them: