Internet Explorer is going away - should you still use it for Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365 access?
Microsoft recently announced that Internet Explorer Internet Explorer 11 will no longer be supported by Microsoft 365 applications. Don’t panic – Internet Explorer users have until August 17, 2021 before the tried and true browser is officially retired, however it is important for organizations using Dynamics 365 and Office 365 to begin developing a plan to use another browser for day to day access.
Beyond an official end of support date for Internet Explorer announcement, Microsoft also released two other key dates that should be noted by Microsoft 365 users.
Microsoft Teams web app support
Beginning November 30, 2020, the Microsoft Teams web app will no longer support Internet Explorer 11. If Internet Explorer is set as the default browser for internal or external users attempting to join a Microsoft Teams meeting via the web, they will be unable to do so after this date.
Microsoft Teams supports the following browsers:
Microsoft Edge (RS2)
Microsoft Edge (Chromium)
Google Chrome
Safari
Firefox
Microsoft Edge legacy desktop app
Microsoft has been working on a new chromium version of Microsoft Edge for almost two years. Now that this new version of Edge is available, it makes sense that they would deprecate the legacy version of the browser. The official depreciation date is March 9, 2021 marking the end of new security updates for the app.
What browser should you switch to?
At this point, Microsoft supports all modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. Of course, Microsoft recommends using Microsoft Edge for all web use including Dynamics 365 and Microsoft 365. You can read their detailed article on planning for the deployment of Microsoft Edge here or check out their user guide for the modern browser here.
Internet Explorer mode in Microsoft Edge
While Internet Explorer is going away next year and should not be used to access any Microsoft service after that August 17th date, IE will live on in Microsoft Edge as something Microsoft is calling “Internet Explorer” Mode.
If organizations are using Internet Explorer for business-critical apps – Microsoft wants to make sure they don’t just stop working. Internet Explorer mode allows users to open sites configured by policy with Internet Explorer within Microsoft Edge. Learn more about Internet Explorer Mode in Microsoft Edge.