Internet Explorer is being phased out TODAY, and fans are mourning the loss of the browser after 26 years.

After 26 years, MICROSOFT is retiring Internet Explorer today, and netizens are paying their respects.

The browser was once one of the most popular ways to surf the web, but it is being retired by the tech titan.

Fans have taken to Twitter to bid farewell to Explorer in favour of Microsoft’s newer, shinier browser, Edge.

Some called its retirement the “end of an era,” while one fan referred to the humble piece of software as a “legend.”

“Of all the web browsers I have encountered in my travels, it was the most… human,” a presumably teary-eyed admirer remarked.

Others made fun of Explorer’s reputation for being slow and outdated.

Along with a screenshot of Explorer error pop-ups – which were common whenever the browser crashed – one user tweeted: “Internet Explorer has died. Thank you for teaching me how to deal with my anger.”

When setting up a new computer, Explorer, as the default browser on Windows, was frequently used simply to download rival browsers such as Google Chrome or Firefox.

One Twitter user joked, “RIP to the #1 Chrome installer of all time.”

“Thank you for assisting me in downloading Chrome,” said another.

Explorer was the most popular web browser during its heyday in the 1990s and 2000s.

However, due to widespread performance issues, it has become the target of numerous online jokes over the last decade.

Despite its reputation, according to report, Explorer is still used by 0.65% of web users worldwide.

Chrome and Apple’s Safari, with market shares of 64.95 percent and 19.01 percent, respectively, dwarf this.

With the release of Edge in 2015, Microsoft attempted to move away from its ageing browser.

“Microsoft Edge is the future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10,” the company stated.