Microsoft is retiring the consumer version of Internet Explorer.

Internet Explorer first debuted on Windows Computers in 1995, however with the introduction of Google Chrome, Apple Safari & Mozilla Firefox, its use on devices become seriously reduced.

Users wanting to stick with Microsoft are being directed to Microsoft Edge, launched in 2015, alongside Windows 10.

The introduction of the new faster browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox) started the downfall for IE and then the rise of Smartphones delivered the fatal blow, with Apple devices pre-installed with Safari and Android devices with Google Chrome.

Edge retains an inbuilt "IE mode" for developers and those seeking to access legacy applications.

Microsoft says access to its legacy desktop browser will be maintained on older versions of Windows and Internet Explorer's legacy is sure to live on, having come pre-installed on Windows computers for more than two decades.