Internet Explorer 11 users, be warned: AWS is moving on

Internet Explorer 11 about page
Internet Explorer 11 about page (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Internet Explorer 11 is slated for retirement in 2022.
  • Ahead of its expiration date, some companies have decided it's no longer worth catering to.
  • Amazon's Amazon Web Services (AWS) is one such service that won't take IE 11 into consideration anymore.

It's widely known that Microsoft is ending support for Internet Explorer 11 in 2022. However, some companies are increasing the browser's irrelevance ahead of 2022 by no longer factoring it in when developing new features for their sites, services, and tools. One such company is Amazon, which has made IE 11 persona non grata within the Amazon Web Services (AWS) ecosystem.

Amazon doesn't mince words in its blog post announcing the end of AWS support for IE 11. If you're using the AWS Management Console, Amazon Chime, Amazon Honeycode, AWS Marketing, AWS Support, AWS Marketplace, AWS Documentation, or just about anything else with AWS in the name, Amazon has a message for you: "It is time to upgrade to a more modern & secure browser such as Edge, Firefox, or Chrome."

In that same blog post, Amazon breaks down the stages that will occur as it formally detaches AWS from IE 11.

  • July 31, 2021 – Effective today, we will no longer ensure that new AWS Management Console features and web pages function properly on IE 11. We will fix bugs that are specific to IE 11 for existing features and pages.
  • Late 2021 – Later this year you will receive a pop-up notification (and a reminder to upgrade your browser) if you use IE 11 to access any of the services or pages listed above.
  • July 31, 2022 – One year from today we will discontinue our support for IE 11 and you will need to use a browser that we support.

In summary, if you use AWS for any of your operations, it's time to ditch IE 11 for good.

Robert Carnevale

Robert Carnevale is the News Editor for Windows Central. He's a big fan of Kinect (it lives on in his heart), Sonic the Hedgehog, and the legendary intersection of those two titans, Sonic Free Riders. He is the author of Cold War 2395. Have a useful tip? Send it to robert.carnevale@futurenet.com.