Adobe Flash Player for Mac Chrome

Is it outdated?

Ever gotten an error message on YouTube telling you to update your Flash Player to its latest version. Nope? No surprise there. With technology evolving to support SWF (Small Web Format) now, you don't need Flash Player to enjoy all sorts of online content. So does it make sense to still download the program?

The end of an era

Despite regular updates and improvements for Flash Player, the software has lost ground to other software programs like HTML5, WebGL, and WebAssemble.

Back in the day, watching videos and playing multimedia games online were impossible without the help of Adobe Flash Player. Even if you had a Mac, you still needed to download the software to make the most of its entertainment capabilities. But now, times have changed; what was once an absolute must is no longer in demand.  By the end of 2020, Adobe will no longer continue supporting the program. Regardless, that doesn't mean you have to miss out on some of the benefits that the program still has to offer. 

Entertainment and gaming experience

True to its original promise, Adobe Flash Player drives entertainment and fun with its spectacular gaming features. Using the GPU rendering feature, you can build fast 2D and 3D games in high-definition and full-screen. Its enhanced mouse control draws you deeper into the gaming experience to give you a more hands-on or rather, finger-on —approach. For those who are avid gamers, you won't want to miss out on these fun perks.  

The software program also lets you watch videos in HD with industry-standard codecs such as H.264, AAC, and MP3. It can help you create high-quality vector graphics or produce true 1080p videos. The LZMA compression algorithm lets you deliver optimized SWF files for faster download. Adobe recently improved Flash Player's bitmap control to deliver better and more interactive animation. 

The future of Flash Player

Although Adobe has done well to integrate updates and improvements in this program, the company has not been able to keep up enough pace with breakthroughs in technology. For that reason, the pioneering tech company has decided to call it quits with Adobe Flash Player. 

For those of you who want to take advantage of the software program, you'll have until the end of 2020 to do so. After that, Adobe will no longer continue developing the program. But until said EOL, you can rest assured that the company will offer support to current users and issue regular security patches to promise quality service at least. 

Where can you run this program?

Adobe Flash Player is available on Mac OS. It has a separate client for Windows 7 or older OS, as well as for Windows 8 and 10. Linux users may also download the software on their devices. The program can be supported on browsers like Internet Explorer, IE for Windows 10, Edge, Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome, and Opera. 

Is there a better alternative?

While there are definitely other applications similar to Adobe Flash Player,  they don't compare to the tech giant's product.  If you're looking to ween off Adobe Flash Player, check out ClickToFlash or ClickToPlugin extensions for your Safari browser. Another option is to download the Google Chrome browser, which supports HTML5 and  offers YouTube.

Our take

Adobe Flash Player has served its purpose well. Its developers continue to update the software in order to keep its users safe and improve its performance over time. Yet, in spite of all of this, it won't matter any more when the program is decommissioned in the coming year. 

Should you download it? 

No. If you don't regularly consume Flash-based content, getting Adobe Flash Player would be pointless. Download the software only if you think you will need to access any Flash-based content. If you end up getting the program, just make sure to update the program periodically to not miss out on the latest security patches. 

Highs

  • Enjoy rich content
  • Regular updates from Adobe
  • Runs on multiple platforms

Lows

  • Could become a security threat
  • Adobe will pull the plug by the end of 2020
  • Almost unnecessary at this point

  • Home
  • Mac

macOS blocks the Adobe Flash Player by default for security reasons. Need to use Flash anyway? Here's how to unblock it.

Do you want to access Adobe Flash content on your Mac? If so, the first thing you need to do is to unblock Adobe Flash Player in macOS. The operating system blocks this player by default for security reasons, and you need to manually enable it to then use it across your browsers.

What Does It Mean to Unblock Adobe Flash Player on a Mac?

Unblocking the Adobe Flash Player basically means you're allowing the player to be used in any web browser you run on macOS. Browsers generally block Flash by default, but you can turn on an option in most of them to allow Flash to run.

How to Unblock Adobe Flash Player on Your Mac

Depending on what browser you use, you can head into the settings menu and toggle an option to unblock Flash.

Here's how to enable Flash in Chrome and other popular browsers on macOS.

Unblock Adobe Flash Player in Chrome on macOS

  1. Open a new tab in Google Chrome on your Mac.
  2. Type the following in the address bar and press Enter: chrome://settings/content/flash
  3. You'll now be on the Flash settings page and you’ll see an option that reads Block sites from running Flash (recommended). Turn this toggle to the ON position to unblock Flash in Chrome.

    Unblock Adobe Flash Player in Chrome on a Mac

You should now be able to view Flash content in Chrome.

Unblock Adobe Flash Player in Safari on macOS

As of Safari 14, Flash is completely blocked and you can't unblock it. If you're running an earlier version of the browser, follow the instructions below.

  1. Open Safari and click the Safari menu at the top followed by Preferences.
  2. Click the Websites tab at the top.
  3. Under Plug-ins on the left, you’ll see an option saying Adobe Flash Player. Tick the box for this option and select On from the When visiting other websites dropdown menu on the right.

    Unblock Adobe Flash
Player in Safari on a Mac

Flash is now unblocked in Safari.

Unblock Adobe Flash Player in Firefox on macOS

Firefox removed the option to unblock Adobe Flash for all websites in version 69. As a result, you now need to turn on Flash for each website you want to use Flash on.

You’ll see a prompt when you’re on a website that uses Flash. You can either allow or block Flash from being used on that site.

  1. When Firefox detects Flash content on a site, you’ll see a new icon near the address bar. This icon is what allows you to allow or disallow Flash for your site.
  2. Click that icon and select Allow to allow the current site to run Flash content.

    Unblock Adobe Flash Player in Firefox on a Mac

Keep in mind that you need to click Allow each time you are on a site with Flash content; Firefox won’t remember your choice and will show a prompt even if you immediately open the same site in a new tab.

Need to Keep Flash Content for When the Flash Player Is Gone?

Adobe is putting an end to development on the Flash Player. By the end of 2020, Adobe will no longer offer the Flash Player download.

If you have favorite Flash-based content, now is the time to download and save it to your computer. This may be some Flash-based games that you want to play offline, some Flash videos, etc. This way, even if Flash Player is gone, you'll be able to access your Flash content as it's stored locally on your computer.

Get That Flash Content While You Can

If you’ve come across a site that requires Flash, use one of the methods above to enable Flash in your browser and access your Flash-based content. You won’t be able to do this after the end of 2020, so make the most of it while you can.

Make sure to get your favorite Flash videos or games downloaded to your computer soon, as you won’t be able to do this after Adobe has put the Flash Player to rest.

Does Chrome on Mac support Flash?

Unblock Adobe Flash Player in Chrome on macOS Open a new tab in Google Chrome on your Mac. You'll now be on the Flash settings page and you'll see an option that reads Block sites from running Flash (recommended). Turn this toggle to the ON position to unblock Flash in Chrome.

Is there Adobe Flash Player for Mac?

Ruffle is a Flash Player emulator. It runs as a standalone application. You can use it on iOS as well as Mac. Ruffle should allow you to view Flash content.