Old Edge browser is still hanging around in Windows 10 – but not for much longer

Microsoft confirms that legacy Edge is being killed off in April

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

Windows 10still carries two versions ofEdgeas well as Internet Explorer, but the headcount ofMicrosoft’s browsers is about to be trimmed from three to two, as the software giant has officially confirmed that it’s about to kill off the old Edge.

The two spins of Edge are the new Chromium-based one, and the legacy Edge that came withWindows 10when the OS was first launched. Even if you’ve already moved to the shiny new Chromium-powered Edge, the old Edge is still hanging around in the background of your system – essentially it’s present, but hidden.

However, with an incoming cumulative update, Microsoft has said that this legacy Edge browser will finally be completely removed from Windows 10, and those who are still using it will be compelled to switch to the new version of Edge.

Clues to this happeninghave already been spotted earlier this week, thanks to a language pack discovered inWindows 10 21H2preview builds, which led us to speculate that perhaps the legacy Edge was going to be ditched when that second update of 2021 arrived, later in the year.

However, old Edge will get its comeuppance much sooner than that, with April 13 being the official date Microsoft has given.

Cessation of support

In a blog post flagged up byC-Net, Microsoftconfirmedthat official support for Edge is ending on March 9, and that: “To replace this out of support application, we are announcing that the new Microsoft Edge will be available as part of the Windows 10 cumulative monthly security update – otherwise referred to as the Update Tuesday (or “B”) release – on April 13, 2021.

“When you apply this update to your devices, the out of support Microsoft Edge Legacy desktop application will be removed and the new Microsoft Edge will be installed.”

Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.

Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.

The same thing will also happen for those who install the preview cumulative update (or “C” release) for March, which is an optional update.

Don’t worry if you’ve already installed the new Edge – the patch won’t mess with your current browser installation, or reinstall Chromium-based Edge; it will only remove the legacy Edge from Windows 10, freeing up a bit of drive space and getting rid of some system clutter.

Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - ‘I Know What You Did Last Supper’ - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).

Alt + Tab trouble: Windows 11’s 24H2 update turns time-saving shortcut into ten-second headache

Windows 11’s Paint and Notepad apps are getting smart new AI features – though one of the best will be for Copilot+ PCs only

Professionals are facing “tech overload” as they try to juggle multiple devices in the workplace