WordPress has just released its latest update (version 5.8), which includes some great performance improvements but also stops supporting Internet Explorer 11. Dropping support means the browser won’t be removed, but WordPress will no longer update or test its features on Internet Explorer. This can lead to security and performance issues, especially if you use Internet Explorer to manage your WordPress site.
(If you edit your site using Internet Explorer, you may have already seen a warning saying that IE11 is outdated).
This article will explain why WordPress is dropping support for Internet Explorer 11, what this means, and how it affects you.
Why WordPress is Dropping Internet Explorer 11
Internet Explorer 11, once a very popular browser, is now used by less than 1% of people online. Because of this, many websites have stopped supporting it, and WordPress will do the same this summer.
WordPress has supported IE11 for over seven years, but with the release of WordPress 5.8 in July, it will no longer support the browser.
For the past 17 months, WordPress users who still use IE11 have seen a warning that the browser is outdated.
If you're still using Internet Explorer 11, WordPress strongly suggests switching to a modern browser like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge.
If you already use one of these browsers, this change will improve your experience, as it allows WordPress to bring better performance and new features.
What Does Dropping Support Mean?
When WordPress drops support for a browser, it means they will no longer test new features on that browser, and the browser is no longer guaranteed to work well. Any bugs found in IE11 won't be fixed.
WordPress also uses automated tools to create its core files, and these tools will be updated to stop supporting older browsers. As a result, features that rely on those files may stop working or become buggy for users on unsupported browsers.
These changes will be most noticeable in the Gutenberg block editor since many of its files are created using these automated tools.
Other parts of the code specific to Internet Explorer 11 will need to be reviewed and either removed or maintained manually. WordPress plans to start this process with the release of WordPress 5.9, and it will happen gradually over the next few major updates.
How Will This Affect WordPress Themes?
Removing support for IE11 will not change the default WordPress themes; any code related to IE11 will stay in those themes. However, future features won't be tested on IE11.
Most themes have their own browser support rules, so changes to WordPress Core won't directly affect them. You likely won't see any changes if you're not using a default theme. But, it's possible that your theme's developer may have already dropped IE11 support.
If you're unsure how this will impact your theme, it's best to contact your theme developer for more information.
Conclusion:
WordPress is dropping support for Internet Explorer 11 because it's old, lacks modern features, and very few people use it anymore. IE11 doesn’t support many of today’s web technologies, which slows down performance and limits what WordPress can do.
WordPress can improve security, performance, and user experience on newer browsers by stopping support. This change also matches what the rest of the web development community is doing, as most have moved on to better browsers.
