Although Adobe has written and published instructions to run Flash on iOS, Steve Jobs, Apple’s co-founder, and former CEO, famously fought against the freeware.
Adobe Flash Player - client runtime helping you view videos,open games on your computer and work with virtually all browsers out there. It is a unique plugin that enables browsers to display and reproduce Flash Media on the sites. Find “Adobe Flash Player” in the program list, and double-click to open the uninstall dialog. If you’re using Google Chrome, the browser also includes a built-in version of Flash Player.
In an article published on apple.com in April 2010, Steve highlighted the reasons why Adobe Flash Player will never be an official component of Safari, Apple’s integrated web browser. Jobs pushed hard for an upgrade to HTML to support videos without Flash. Ultimately, the result became what we know as HTML5.
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1Why Is Apple Against Flash?
Is Adobe Flash Player NecessaryWhy Is Apple Against Flash?
As highlighted is in his article, Jobs main concern was never security. In fact, he explicitly mentioned that protecting the App Store was never the main reason behind Apple’s stance against Flash. Steve argued that Flash is a closed system because it’s developed and owned by Adobe. In contrast, HTML5, CSS, Javascript are open systems which is why Apple decided to adopt them. The former Apple’s CEO was against Flash because it was 100% property of a private company despite being widely available.
In the same article, Steve Jobs went on to explain that HTML5 allows web developers to create advanced graphics, animations, and typography without relying on 3rd party software such as Flash. He also argued that major video service providers such as YouTube, Netflix, HBO, Vimeo, and FOX don’t depend on Flash. When Steve wrote his article, almost 40% of online video content was viewable on Apple products. Apple was able to meet all of their customers’ video-related needs without Flash support.
Is Flash Safe for Mac?
The short answer is yes, Flash can run on a Mac without any major issues. However, since it is not officially supported by Apple for the reasons mentioned above, it will require some tweaking first. Here’s what you need to do before and after installing Flash on a Mac:
The most important step is making sure that you’re downloading Flash from Adobe. To avoid any confusion, click here to reach the download page. In all cases, you should always make sure that you’re downloading from adobe.com and not any other domain.
Alternatives to Flash
If you prefer not to download and install Adobe Flash for any reason, you should try using Google Chrome instead of Safari. Chrome comes with an integrated Flash player and will not require any extra permission. Flash also comes turned on by default in Google Chrome so you will not have to do any extra tweaking.
Alternatively, you should consider dealing with websites built on modern technologies. Particularly, websites who support HTML5. As mentioned in this article by Aphr, 95% of websites who used to rely on Flash switched to HTML5. If everyone is switching to Flash, it shouldn’t be hard to find an alternative to your favorite website after a quick online search.
Now more than ever, leaving Adobe Flash Player on your system is looking like a dubious proposition.
While Flash has long been a popular vector for malware, last week’s security breach of surveillance software firm Hacking Team underscored just how vulnerable Flash can be. Hacking Team was relying on at least three unpatched Flash exploits, which cybercriminals immediately adapted for their own nefarious uses. Adobe is scrambling to patch the exploits, but at least one remains unfixed as of this writing.
A few years ago, this news would have been deeply distressing, as Flash was still the go-to plug-in for video services like YouTube and Netflix, music sites like Rdio, and online gaming portals like Newgrounds. But as HTML5 has improved, and web browsers have embraced it as a standard, it’s becoming easier than ever for web developers to leave Flash behind. All of the sites I just mentioned—and many more—now work just fine without Adobe Flash Player installed.
It’s gotten to the point where tech influencers are now calling for Adobe to kill Flash entirely, but why wait? Even with occasional site that doesn’t work—Spotify’s web player is one notable example—disabling or removing Flash from your system is worth the trade-off today. While some browsers such as Google Chrome and Apple Safari use sandboxing to minimize security risks, disabling Flash can also make your system faster and more battery-efficient as websites are no longer bogged down by Flash-based advertisements. Flash just isn’t worth the trouble anymore.
How to remove and disable FlashIs Adobe Flash Player Safe To Download
Getting rid of Flash is a fairly simple process. Just open the Start menu (or Start screen in Windows 8), type “Programs and Features” into the search bar, and hit Enter. Find “Adobe Flash Player” in the program list, and double-click to open the uninstall dialog.
If you’re using Google Chrome, the browser also includes a built-in version of Flash Player. It’s more stable and secure than the desktop version, but still wasn’t safe enough to evade the exploits Hacking Team had been using. To shut it down, type chrome://plugins into the address bar, then click “Disable” under Adobe Flash Player. You may want to bookmark the chrome://plugins page in case you run across a website where you absolutely must use Flash—you can briefly reactivate it, then disable it again afterward.
You may be surprised by how much of the web now works without Flash Player, to the point that you might not even believe Flash is gone from your system. Fortunately, this handy website will confirm whether your efforts to eradicate Flash were successful.
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December 2020
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