Quick answer: On 12 January 2016, Microsoft stopped providing security updates and technical support for Internet Explorer 8, 9 and 10 on most versions of Windows, leaving Internet Explorer 11 (and Edge on Windows 10) as the supported options. For most websites, that is a good point to support IE 11 fully, make sure older versions still get readable, usable content, and stop spending budget on making IE 8 to 10 look perfect. Check your own analytics before deciding, because some audiences, such as large corporate or public sector visitors, may still rely on older versions.
For years, supporting old versions of Internet Explorer has been one of the most time consuming parts of building websites. Layouts that worked everywhere else broke in IE, modern features needed workarounds, and testing took longer. Microsoft’s change of policy gives businesses a clear reason to revisit which browsers they support. It does not mean old IE users vanish overnight, so the decision is worth making carefully.
What changed in January
Microsoft’s new policy is that only the most recent version of Internet Explorer available for each supported version of Windows gets security updates and support. In practice:
- Windows 7 and Windows 8.1: Internet Explorer 11 only.
- Windows 10: Internet Explorer 11 and Microsoft Edge.
- A few server and older editions: some exceptions, such as IE 9 on Windows Vista and IE 10 on Windows Server 2012, which cannot run IE 11.
IE 8, 9 and 10 on ordinary desktop Windows no longer receive security fixes. Windows XP, which cannot run anything newer than IE 8, lost support altogether in April 2014.
Anyone still using those browsers is now running unpatched software, which is a growing risk to them every month.
Who still uses old Internet Explorer?
Usage of IE 8 to 10 has been falling for some time, but it has not gone. The people still on them tend to be:
- Staff in large organisations with old internal systems that only work in a particular IE version.
- Public sector bodies with slow upgrade cycles.
- Home users on old computers who have never upgraded.
- Some markets abroad where older Windows versions remain common.
So the real question is not how many people worldwide use old IE, but how many of your visitors and customers do.
Check your own numbers
In Google Analytics, go to Audience, Technology, Browser and OS. Select Internet Explorer and add Browser Version as a secondary dimension. Look at:
- The share of sessions from each IE version over the last few months.
- The trend: is it falling?
- Conversions from those visitors: do they enquire or buy?
- Behaviour: high bounce rates on old IE may mean your site is already broken for them.
If you have separate audiences, such as trade customers and consumers, look at segments separately. Trade buyers browsing from work may be much more likely to use an old browser.
If your analytics setup is still the older ga.js code, our Universal Analytics upgrade guide explains how to move to the current version.
Levels of support
Supporting a browser is not all or nothing. A useful approach is to define levels:
Full support
The site looks and works as designed, and you test every release in that browser. For most sites, that should cover current versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, IE 11 and the main mobile browsers.
Functional support
Content is readable and the key tasks work, such as reading pages, filling in the contact form or completing a purchase. The site may look plainer: no animations, simpler layouts, some styling missing. This is often the right level for IE 9 and 10.
No support
You do not test or fix problems in that browser. You might show a polite message suggesting an upgrade. For many sites, IE 8 and older can now go here, unless your analytics say otherwise.
Write your chosen levels down and agree them with whoever builds and maintains your site, so everyone knows what “works in IE” means.
What dropping old IE allows
Moving older IE versions to functional or no support saves time and opens up modern techniques:
- Modern CSS layout, including flexbox, which IE 9 and older do not support and IE 10 supports only partly.
- Newer JavaScript libraries. Many libraries are dropping support for IE 8 and older. jQuery 2.x already left out IE 6 to 8.
- Simpler code. Fewer workarounds, polyfills and separate stylesheets for IE, which also means faster pages.
- Less testing time on every change.
- Better security features, such as modern TLS settings, that old browsers cannot handle.
How to drop support gracefully
Use progressive enhancement
Build the core content and functions in plain HTML that works anywhere, then add enhanced styling and scripts for browsers that can use them. Old browsers get a simpler but working site.
Use feature detection
Instead of checking for a browser name, check whether a feature is supported, for example with Modernizr, and provide a fallback when it is not.
Keep forms and checkout working
These are the pages where losing a visitor costs real money. Even if the rest of the site looks plain in an old browser, make sure people can still contact you or pay.
Show a friendly notice
For very old browsers, a small banner explaining that the site may not display correctly and suggesting a free upgrade is fine. Avoid blocking access completely, unless the site truly cannot work.
Testing without a room full of old computers
You do not need a stack of old PCs to test in Internet Explorer. Microsoft offers free virtual machines with different Windows and IE versions through its modern.IE developer site, which run in VirtualBox or similar software on a Mac or PC. Online services such as BrowserStack let you open your site in many browser and operating system combinations from your own browser. For quick checks, IE 11’s developer tools can emulate older document modes, although that is not a perfect match for the real older browsers, so use a proper virtual machine before signing off important pages.
Internal systems are a different story
If your own business relies on an internal web application that only works in an old version of IE, that is now a security problem rather than a design preference. Staff are running unpatched browsers to use it. Options include IE 11’s Enterprise Mode, which emulates IE 8 for listed sites, while you plan to update or replace the system. Our guide to legacy system modernisation explains how to approach that work in stages.
Planning a redesign?
If you are planning a new site, now is the time to set browser support levels. Agreeing them at the start keeps quotes accurate and avoids surprises late in the project. Our guide to website development costs covers other factors that affect the budget.
FAQ
Should I still test in IE 11?
Yes. It is supported until further notice and still widely used, especially on Windows 7 and in businesses.
What about Microsoft Edge?
Edge is Microsoft’s new browser on Windows 10. It follows web standards closely and generally behaves like other modern browsers. Test in it alongside IE 11.
Will old IE users get a broken site?
Not if you use progressive enhancement. They should get a simpler version that still lets them read content and get in touch.
Want a modern site that still works for everyone?
We build sites that use current techniques and still give every visitor a working experience. See how we help you turn visitors into customers.
