Google Apps: Internet Explorer 8 support ends soon

Martin Brinkmann
Sep 15, 2012
Updated • Sep 24, 2018
Google, Internet Explorer
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11

The Google Apps team just announced that support for Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8 web browser will end on November 15, 2012. This falls in line with last year's announcement that the service will only support the latest version of a web browser and the prior version. When a new major version gets released, support for the third oldest version is discontinued.

Microsoft will release Internet Explorer 10 on October 26, the day the Windows 8 operating system is launched to the public. The new major version and Internet Explorer 9 are from that moment on supported by Google Apps, while Internet Explorer 8 support is dropped.

This has implications for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 users, as Microsoft has not made available Internet Explorer upgrades for their systems. While that does not mean that these users can't access Google Apps at all, they will receive a message recommending to upgrade the browser. Since XP users do not have upgrade options available to them, they are in a predicament.

As we announced last year, we support the latest version of Google Chrome (which automatically updates whenever it detects that a new version of the browser is available) as well as the current and prior major release of Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari on a rolling basis. Each time a new version of one of these browsers is released, we begin supporting the update and stop supporting the third-oldest version.

Internet Explorer 10 launches on 10/26/2012, and as a result, we will discontinue support for Internet Explorer 8 shortly afterwards, on 11/15/2012. After this date users accessing Google Apps services using Internet Explorer 8 will see a message recommending that they upgrade their browser.

Organizations and individual users relying on Internet Explorer 8 may install the Google Chrome Frame plugin in the web browser to overcome the issue.

Internet Explorer 8 is not the only browser that Google Apps is not supporting officially. Google is for instance not supporting any version of the Opera web browser, Internet Explorer 6 or 7, Firefox 3.6, Firefox 4, or any version of the browser lower than Firefox 14 with the exception of the Firefox ESR release.

Users running unsupported browser versions may experience issues when using Google Apps. Presentations in Google Docs for instance do not display properly in Firefox 3.6, and Gmail's new look does not work at all in unsupported web browsers.

The move may provide Google with yet another option to market the company's own web browser Google Chrome to Internet Explorer users. (thanks Ilev)

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Google Apps: Internet Explorer 8 support ends soon
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Google Apps: Internet Explorer 8 support ends soon
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The Google Apps team just announced that support for Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8 web browser will end on November 15, 2012
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Ghacks Technology News
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Comments

  1. Sreve said on April 13, 2013 at 12:23 am
    Reply

    “Gmail’s new look does not work at all in unsupported web browsers.”

    That, for me, is one good reason to stick with IE8. I like IE8. I am happy with the look and the way it works. I’ve never wanted or felt the need to change browsers, something I would need to do on my XP based laptop. But as desktop and laptop sales decline and everyone says how wonderful tablets are…

  2. steve1945 said on October 5, 2012 at 11:14 am
    Reply

    Some advice please. I have windows Xp with IE 8. Now to complete any window up-dates as You know, You have to open the IE browser and at the moment it’s unsafe to use. I only use IE 8 for the window up-dates, then go back to My firefox.. In window 7, You don’t need to open windows up to do Your up-dates ( good thing )

    Anyway back to My question, I have virgin media as My internet supplier, they changed their email to google a while back, So when IE 8 support has gone and google app take a walk, will I loose My email from virgin ( I know ask virgin lol, but I’m running An XP lol You know chunky virgin is :-( so it’s easer to come here and see what You know ??) also, If I redirect mail to another email provider, google mail still be lost ? this being the case, should I just start opening more email addy’s now, and what ones do You suggest. i used mail.com for this post, but I got mixed reviews about it. Thanks for any help.

  3. PeeJay said on September 17, 2012 at 3:07 pm
    Reply

    Opera web browser may not be supported by Google, I use it with no problems to visit Google Apps.

  4. Dan said on September 15, 2012 at 8:10 pm
    Reply

    I can see all the XP users (who happen to use IE) wondering why all the sudden their gmail is broken…

  5. Red said on September 15, 2012 at 4:09 pm
    Reply

    “The move may provide Google with yet another option to market the company’s own web browser Google Chrome to Internet Explorer users.” Yes, but will Google Chrome allow XP users access to Windows Update?

    1. ilev said on September 15, 2012 at 6:30 pm
      Reply

      Are you a Windows user ?

      …but will Google Chrome allow XP users access to Windows Update?…

      What has this anything to do with windows update ?
      Installing Chrome or Firefox doesn’t uninstall IE6,7,8 from XP,
      nor does it uninstall Windows and install Linux /s

      1. Red said on September 16, 2012 at 9:45 pm
        Reply

        Read the quote I provided. It infers that IE users could use Google Chrome in place of the soon to be unsupported IE8. At present, if I try to access Windows Update I am told by Microsoft that I must use an IE browser. However as an XP user I cannot update the IE browser above the unsupported IE8. Hence my question, will Google Chrome allow XP users access to Windows Update?

  6. kalmly said on September 15, 2012 at 3:32 pm
    Reply

    Well, ain’t that a heartbreaker. I’ve got news Google Apps: I don’t use you, need you, or want you.

  7. kalmly said on September 15, 2012 at 3:26 pm
    Reply

    Well, I don’t support Google Apps!

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