You probably heard of Adobe Flash Player before and are familiar with its functionalities. It is a very popular software, and most web browsers use it (or used it, to be more accurate), including Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari, etc.
When you use any web browser, this one relies on plug-ins to be able to view specific content. Adobe Flash Player is one that enables you to view multimedia content, such as images, videos, games, and more.
You might even be using Flash Player on your computer without realizing it, as it is pretty much an indispensable application in all computers so that the internet functions optimally. This article is your chance to know more about it and its different uses before it becomes outdated and switched to HTML5.
What is Adobe Flash Player?
Flash Player is known as a software that allows you to view multimedia files on web browsers by executing them in SWF (Shockwave Flash Format).
It first belonged to Macromedia Corporation, who developed it in the mid-1990s, but then Adobe Systems acquired the technology in 2005 and developed it more to become an essential tool on every computer.
It supports many multimedia files formats, such as:
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- JPEG: Flash Player is able to execute both JPEG and JPEG-XR in SWF files.
- PNG: PNG stands for Portable Network Graphics, and Flash Player can support this format once you add the PNG Bitmap Compatibility (available on Flash Player 11 and more recent versions)
- GIF: GIF is a format supported by Flash Player even though it can only display the first frame of it.
- MP3: Flash Player also allows you to upload MP3 files into the SWF.
Why use Adobe Flash Player?
First of all, the main perk of Flash Player is it being free. You don’t have to purchase a license or add expenses to your monthly bill, just download the software online and benefit from its countless advantages. Now the question is, what will persuade you to download it? Flash Player will enable you to play different kinds of multimedia formats, and you won’t have to worry about any interruptions or lags. Without Flash Player, surfing on the web will be a struggle, with no ability to visualize any multimedia content online. If you are a gamer, you also need to use Flash Player to have nice visuals and a high-quality picture with no glitches.
Now that you are familiar with Flash Player’s great uses, you probably know about taking down the software by the end of 2020. This goes back to many downsides to Flash Player. For instance, the software is known to be easily targeted by malware and viruses. Their security has not had the best reputation over the years but has known upgrades all along. The latest version is for sure more developed and is more protected from the multiple online threats it can face.
Is it the end of Adobe Flash Player?
Even though Flash Player played a considerable role in making the use of the internet more optimal through the years, developers have found an alternative to this software.
Soon, it will be replaced by HTML5, which is why it’s better to make a smooth transition now and switch your online content to HTML5 as soon as possible.
It is the end of a software that gave a lot to internet users, but it is getting old, and Adobe has decided to put an end to it instead of developing new versions.
So, make sure to be ready for it, as it will disappear from all web browsers, and it is only a matter of years for the Flash Content to disappear.
HTML5 offers way more advantages than Flash Player. For instance, it is supported on iOS devices, which is not the case for Flash Player. This means that everyone using an iPhone, iPad, etc. can’t benefit from Flash Player and use it to view multimedia content.
Not to mention that Chrome has been using HTML5 since 2016, and considering it is one of the most used web browsers, it is taking its toll on Flash Player.
Also, and as we mentioned earlier, Flash Player had several security problems over the years. Their servers could easily be accessed and hacked, and important data could be stolen (phone numbers, addresses, etc.)
When the comparison comes to this, HTML5 is, without a doubt, more secure and does not have as many flaws.
This can be blamed on Adobe, as it didn’t push the users to update the software to the latest version regularly, and since people ended up using older versions, hackers could find their way in easily and take advantage of the software’s flaws.
How to disable Flash Player?
The reasonable thing to do is to disable Flash Player. You can do that easily by entering the web browser’s settings and look for “plug-in” or “extension.” The rest depends on which browser you are using, but it should be done within a few clicks.
How to uninstall Flash Player?
If you are looking for a drastic end, you can also consider uninstalling it once for all. First of all, download the uninstaller of Flash Player (it executes on both versions of Windows, 32-bit, and 64-bit). Shut down all the programs using Flash Player, then run the uninstaller. Once the uninstallation is complete, restart your computer and check out your browser to make sure it has been successful.
Flash Player’s trace will undoubtedly remain forever as it was the primary tool to run apps smoothly, play videos, enjoy games, and more. But its use is becoming less and less common as websites tend to stop using Flash.
It is time that technologies migrate to a newly developed tool, a safer one, and one that can be used on all devices (iOS included). Adobe’s decision could not have been easy, but it was necessary. And if you are a web developer, you need to be ready for a Flash-free web starting in 2021.
We hope this article will pay tribute to Adobe Flash Player and keep users aware of its history and functionalities. How was your experience with Adobe Flash Player, and how do you feel about taking it down? Let us know in the comments.