Editing Internet Explorer (section)

{{Short description|Web browser series by Microsoft}}
{{For-multi|variants|Internet Explorer for Mac|and|Internet Explorer for UNIX|and|Internet Explorer Mobile|the webtoon series|Merryweather Media#Webtoons{{!}}Internet Explorer (webtoon)}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox software
| name = Internet Explorer
| logo = Internet Explorer 10+11 logo.svg
| logo alt = Small blue "e" letter with a blue aureola
| logo size = 70px
| logo caption = Logo used since 2011
| screenshot = Internet Explorer 11 screenshot.png
| caption = Screenshot of [[Internet Explorer 11]] running on [[Windows 10]], showing the [[Main Page]] of the [[English Wikipedia]]
| other_names = Microsoft Internet Explorer (versions 1–6)<br>Windows Internet Explorer (versions 7–9)<br>IE
| author = [[Thomas Reardon]]
| developer = [[Microsoft]]
| released = {{Start date and age|1995|8|24}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/community/columns/historyofie.mspx |title=The History of Internet Explorer |date=August 25, 2005 |publisher=[[Microsoft]] |work=News Center |archive-date=October 1, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051001113951/http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/community/columns/historyofie.mspx |url-status=live }}</ref> (included with Plus! for Windows 95)
| discontinued = no
| ver layout = stacked
| latest release version = {{Multiple releases
  | branch1 = Windows
  | version1 = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q1575|P348|P400=Q1406|P548=Q2804309}}
  | date1 = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q1575|P348|P400=Q1406|P548=Q2804309|P577}}
  | branch2 = macOS
  | version2 = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q1575|P348|P400=Q14116|P548=Q2804309}}
  | date2 = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q1575|P348|P400=Q14116|P548=Q2804309|P577}}
  | branch3 = Unix
  | version3 = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q1575|P348|P400=Q11368|P548=Q2804309}}
  | date3 = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q1575|P348|P400=Q11368|P548=Q2804309|P577}}
}}
| latest preview version = {{Multiple releases
  | branch1 = Windows
  | version1 = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q1575|P348|P400=Q1406|P548=Q51930650}}
  | date1 = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q1575|P348|P400=Q1406|P548=Q51930650|P577}}
  | branch2 = macOS
  | version2 = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q1575|P348|P400=Q14116|P548=Q51930650}}
  | date2 = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q1575|P348|P400=Q14116|P548=Q51930650|P577}}
  | branch3 = Unix
  | version3 = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q1575|P348|P400=Q11368|P548=Q51930650}}
  | date3 = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q1575|P348|P400=Q11368|P548=Q51930650|P577}}
}}
| operating system = [[Windows]] <small>(previously supported: [[macOS|Mac OS X]], [[Solaris (operating system)|Solaris]], [[HP-UX]])</small>
| included with = {{plainlist|
* [[Microsoft Plus!]] for [[Windows 95]]
* Windows 95 OSR1 or later
* [[Windows NT 4.0]] through [[Windows 10, version 21H2|Windows 10 version 21H2]]<!-- [[Windows 11]], but only as "[[MSHTML]] (Trident) browser engine." List that here qualified, or too confusing to list for Windows 11 as not the full application? -->
* [[Windows Phone 7]] through [[Windows Phone 8.1]]
* [[Mac OS 8.1]] through [[Mac OS X 10.2]]
* [[Zune HD]]
* [[Xbox 360]]
* [[Xbox One]]
}}
| engines = [[MSHTML]] (Trident), [[Chakra (JScript engine)|Chakra]]
| platform = [[IA-32]], [[x86-64]], [[ARMv7]] <small> (previously supported: [[MIPS architecture|MIPS]], [[DEC Alpha|Alpha]], [[PowerPC]], [[68k]], [[SPARC]], [[PA-RISC]], [[Itanium]])</small>
| replaced_by = [[Microsoft Edge (series of web browsers)|Microsoft Edge]]
| size = <!--Varies; really, really varies. Please include your source.-->
| language count = 95
| language footnote = <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/terminology/2013/02/27/internet-explorer-10-for-windows-7-released-in-95-languages/|title=Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 released in 95 languages – Microsoft Language Portal Blog|website=blogs.technet.microsoft.com|date=August 28, 2023 }}</ref>
| genre = {{plainlist|
* [[Web browser]]
* [[Feed reader]]}}
| license = [[Proprietary software|Proprietary]], [[end-user license agreement|requires]] a Windows license<ref>{{cite web|title=Microsoft Pre-Release Software License Terms: Internet Explorer 11 Developer Preview|url=http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/internet-explorer/ie11-win7-preview-software-license|work=microsoft.com|publisher=[[Microsoft]]|access-date=July 27, 2013}}</ref>
| website = {{URL|https://microsoft.com/ie}}<!--Redirect; see [[MOS:COMPUTING#Website addresses]]-->
| standard = [[HTML5]], [[CSS3]], [[WOFF]], [[Scalable Vector Graphics|SVG]], [[RSS]], [[Atom (standard)|Atom]], [[JPEG XR]]
}}

'''Internet Explorer'''{{efn|Since versions 10–11}} (formerly '''Microsoft Internet Explorer'''{{efn|In versions 1–6}} and '''Windows Internet Explorer''',{{efn|In versions 7–9}} commonly abbreviated as '''IE''' or '''MSIE''') is <!-- Don't change to "was", as it still is software, and will be forever, not just while still supported until 2031 on LTSC. --> a [[deprecation|retired]] series of [[graphical user interface|graphical]] [[web browser]]s developed by [[Microsoft]] that were used in the [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] line of [[operating system]]s. While IE has been discontinued on most Windows editions, it remains supported on certain editions of Windows, such as [[Windows 10 editions#Organizational editions|Windows 10 LTSB/LTSC]].<ref name="discontinued">{{Cite web |date=2021-05-19 |title=Internet Explorer 11 desktop app retirement FAQ |url=https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/windows-it-pro-blog/internet-explorer-11-desktop-app-retirement-faq/ba-p/2366549 |access-date=2023-02-20 |website=TECHCOMMUNITY.MICROSOFT.COM |language=en}}</ref> Starting in 1995, it was first released as part of the add-on package [[Microsoft Plus!|Plus! for Windows 95]] that year. Later versions were available as free downloads or in-[[service pack]]s and included in the [[original equipment manufacturer]] (OEM) service releases of Windows 95 and later versions of Windows. Microsoft spent over {{USD|100 million}} per year on Internet Explorer in the late 1990s,<ref name="victor">{{cite web|url=http://www.news.com/2009-1032-995681.html?tag=toc|title=Victor: Software empire pays high price|publisher=[[CNET News]]|access-date=October 17, 2008|archive-date=February 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210221021334/https://www.cnet.com/news/|url-status=dead}}</ref> with over 1,000 people involved in the project by 1999.<ref name="citeworld-ie-rise-fall">{{cite web|url=http://www.citeworld.com/article/2147006/consumerization/internet-explorer-rise-fall-rehabilitation.html|title=The rise, fall, and rehabilitation of Internet Explorer|publisher=citeworld.com|access-date=February 6, 2015|archive-date=June 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626112836/http://www.citeworld.com/article/2147006/consumerization/internet-explorer-rise-fall-rehabilitation.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="justice-gov-98-1232">{{cite web|url=https://www.justice.gov/atr/cases/f2600/2613-1.htm|title=U.S. Antitrust Case 98-1232 |publisher=justice.gov |access-date=February 6, 2015|author=Paul Maritz|quote=There is talk about how we get more $'s from the 1000+ people we have working on browser related stuff...}}</ref> In 2016, [[Microsoft Edge (series of web browsers)|Microsoft Edge]] was released to succeed Internet Explorer 11 as Microsoft's primary web browser. New feature development for Internet Explorer was discontinued that same year,<ref name="is-ie-discontinued">{{cite web|url=https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/platform/faq/|title=Frequently Asked Questions|website=Microsoft Edge Development|publisher=[[Microsoft]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160716113141/https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/platform/faq/|archive-date=July 16, 2016|url-status=dead|quote=The latest features and platform updates will only be available in Microsoft Edge. We will continue to deliver security updates to Internet Explorer 11 through its supported lifespan. To ensure consistent behavior across Windows versions, we will evaluate Internet Explorer 11 bugs for servicing on a case by case basis.}}</ref> and support for the browser officially ended on June 15, 2022, for Windows 10 Semi-Annual Channel (SAC) editions.

Internet Explorer was once the most widely used web browser, attaining a peak of 95% [[usage share of web browsers|usage share]] by 2003.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10095730|work=BBC News|title=Microsoft's Internet Explorer losing browser share}}</ref> It has since fallen out of general use after retirement. This came after Microsoft used [[product bundling|bundling]] to win the [[first browser war]] against [[Netscape]], which was the dominant browser in the 1990s. Its usage share has since declined with the launches of [[Firefox]] (2004) and [[Google Chrome]] (2008) and with the growing popularity of mobile operating systems such as [[Android (operating system)|Android]] and [[iOS]] that do not support Internet Explorer. Microsoft Edge, IE's successor, first overtook Internet Explorer in terms of market share in November 2019. Versions of Internet Explorer for other operating systems have also been produced, including an [[Xbox 360]] version called Internet Explorer for Xbox and for platforms Microsoft no longer supports: [[Internet Explorer for Mac]] and [[Internet Explorer for UNIX]] ([[Solaris (operating system)|Solaris]] and [[HP-UX]]), and an embedded OEM version called Pocket Internet Explorer, later rebranded [[Internet Explorer Mobile]], made for [[Windows CE]], [[Windows Phone]], and, previously, based on Internet Explorer 7, for [[Windows Mobile|Windows Phone 7]].

The browser has been scrutinized throughout its development for its use of third-party technology (such as the [[source code]] of [[Spyglass Mosaic]], used without royalty in early versions) and security and privacy [[Vulnerability (computing)|vulnerabilities]], and [[United States v. Microsoft|the United States]] and [[European Union Microsoft competition case#Related investigations|the European Union have determined]] that the integration of Internet Explorer with Windows has been to the detriment of fair browser competition.

The core of Internet Explorer 11 will continue being shipped and supported until at least 2029 as ''IE Mode'', a feature of [[Microsoft Edge]], enabling Edge to display web pages using Internet Explorer 11's [[Trident (software)|Trident]] layout engine and other components.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployedge/edge-ie-mode |title=What is Internet Explorer (IE) mode? |date=2022-03-02 |access-date=2022-06-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220613233617/https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/deployedge/edge-ie-mode |archive-date=2022-06-13 |url-status=live}}</ref> Through IE Mode, the underlying technology of Internet Explorer 11 partially exists on versions of Windows that do not support IE11 as a proper application, including newer versions of [[Windows 10]], as well as [[Windows 11]], Windows Server Insider Build 22463 and Windows Server Insider Build 25110.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/25/22550714/microsoft-windows-11-internet-explorer-disabled|title=Windows 11 is deleting Internet Explorer|author=Tom Warren|website=[[The Verge]]|date=2021-06-25|access-date=2021-08-12}}</ref> <!--Microsoft has announced support for IE Mode through at least 2029, with a one year advance notice prior to retiring this variant of IE11.<ref name="IE11 and Edge Lifecycle FAQ"/> -->