Remove Adobe Flash Player Mac
- Install Adobe Flash Player
- Uninstall Adobe Flash Player Mac Reddit
- Uninstall Adobe Flash Player Mac Big Sur
The Mac maintenance and security app called Combo Cleaner is a one-stop tool to detect and remove Fake Adobe Flash Player Update virus. This technique has substantial benefits over manual cleanup, because the utility gets hourly virus definition updates and can accurately spot even the newest Mac infections. Adobe announced that all major web browsers planned to officially remove the Adobe Flash Player component on December 31, 2020, and Microsoft removed it as a component of currently supported Windows OS versions in January 2021 via Windows Update.
Removing Flash from your system. As Adobe advised, you should remove Flash Player from your system — whether you have a Mac or PC. It is a bit lengthy, but here is how to remove it from a. Locate Adobe Flash Player Install Manager on your Mac. From the Menu bar at the top of the screen, click on Go and select Utilities. If you can’t find Utilities, it also appears in the Application folder. In the Utilities folder, find and double click on the Adobe Flash Player Install Manager application. Uninstall Flash Player. Nov 25, 2020 How to Unblock Adobe Flash Player in Google Chrome. Adobe Flash Player is blocked on Chrome by default. If you enter a website that uses Adobe Flash Player, you will not see any Flash videos on this website. Of course, there are some solutions to unblock Adobe Flash Player, but not permanent.
Adobe Flash Player was once a widely used software that allowed adding various interactive content on websites. The problem with it was that it could not be integrated into browsers and had to be downloaded separately, which is why it was vulnerable to cyber attacks and was often targeted by hackers. Over the years, specialists discovered various weaknesses in the software, which kept discouraging the use of the tool. Consequently, developers began looking for safer alternatives, and bit by bit, the software was replaced by modern web standards, such as HTML5 that do not require installing anything separately and so are safer to use. Thus, Adobe made a decision to discontinue their Flash Player a while ago. However, if this is the first time you are hearing about this, you might be confused about whether you should uninstall Adobe Flash Player now or wait till it reaches its End-Of-Life (EOL). To find the answer to this question as well as learn more about why the software will no longer be continued and what will become of it, we invite you to read the rest of this blog post.
When will Adobe Flash Player reach its EOL?
The decision to discontinue Adobe Flash Player was made back in 2017. The company decided that the tool should reach its EOL by December 31, 2020. Meaning, the software will no longer be supported or available in 2021.
Why was it decided to discontinue Adobe Flash Player?
As mentioned earlier, Adobe Flash Player always had various vulnerabilities and was considered unsafe to use. One of the biggest and most critical weaknesses it had was discovered by Matthew Dempsky, who reported the vulnerability in 2008. The shocking part is that Adobe fixed it only in 2010, which means cybercriminals might have been able to exploit the weakness for more than a year. The company has publicly apologized for taking so long to patch it, but it was not enough to restore everyone’s trust in the software. Therefore, it was only a question of time before the software would get replaced.
Flash Player was replaced by HTML5, which is a markup language that is used to display and structurize content on the World Wide Web. It was released in 2008, but it got the update that allowed it to support various multimedia content only in 2014. Together with technologies like CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), WA (WebAssembly), and WebGL (Web Graphics Library), HTML5 does even a better job than Adobe Flash Player. Naturally, seeing that their product is being replaced with better technologies made Adobe realize that there is no use in continuing to develop it. The reason they still worked on it for almost three more years is to give developers, businesses, and other involved parties time to switch from Flash Player to HTML5 and other mentioned technologies that combined can do the same things as Flash Player.
Will you notice any difference once Adobe Flash Player is gone?
Most users should not feel any difference unless they are visiting old websites that were created back when Adobe Flash Player was still popular and have not been upgraded for years. Ever since 2017 when Adobe announced that they are going to discontinue Flash Player by December 31, 2020, its usage declined dramatically. It is natural as there is no point in using a tool that is vulnerable and is not going to stay for long. Major browsers like Google Chrome even started blocking it by default.
Therefore, it is likely that you have not been using it for a couple of years without even realizing it. There is nothing surprising about that, considering that the Flash Player got replaced with technologies that are built into browsers and do not need to be downloaded separately. It means you will not need to download any updates to patch these technologies like you had to do when you were using Adobe Flash Player. All needed patches will come with browser updates, so all you have to do is make sure that you are using the latest browser version.
Will you be able to use Adobe Flash Player after it reaches EOL?
The short answer would be no. According to the latest Adobe announcement, the company will continue to release security patches and updates for the Flash Player only until December 31. It also says that from January 1, 2021 users will no longer be able to use the tool as all Flash-based content will be blocked from running. Besides, the company announced that they will take down all the Adobe Flash Player’s download websites, so that users would be unable to install the software.
Should you uninstall Adobe Flash player now or wait till it reaches EOL?
We do not think that keeping a tool that is known to be vulnerable and unsafe is a good idea even if you are not using it. Thus, we recommend uninstalling Adobe Flash Player if you still have it on your computer. As said earlier, it is unlikely that you will feel any difference while browsing after it is gone. If you are a Windows user, you could remove it following the instructions available here. If you are a Mac user, we advise using these steps instead. What happens if you do not uninstall Adobe Flash Player yourself? You will be prompted to delete it from your machine by Adobe some time before its EOL.
To conclude, no matter how nostalgic you might feel about Adobe Flash Player, it is time to say goodbye because you will not be able to keep it anyway. Not to mention, it is unlikely that you would have a need for Flash Player as it has already been replaced by much safer and more capable technologies. Thus, why not uninstall Adobe Flash Player now instead of waiting for the end of December and enjoy a safer browsing experience today? If you are interested in improving your browsing experience further, continue reading here.
This step-by-step guide will take you through the process to completely uninstall Adobe Flash Player from your Mac. The regular removal of unwanted and unused software will clean up your Mac and keep it running smoothly.
What is Adobe Flash Player and Why Remove it?
Install Adobe Flash Player
Flash Player is a browser plugin that enables the user to stream and watch video (on sites such as YouTube), viewing multimedia content, and interacting with RIA (Rich Internet Applications).
As of 1 January 2021, Adobe will not be offering and updating Flash Player anymore. Web browsers will rather be making use of the advancements of HTML5, WebGL, and WebAssembly, therefore negating the need for Flash Player.
Method 1. Using Adobe Flash Player Install Manager
By far the most effective and cleanest way to remove Flash Player is by making use of the Installation Manager. This simple process will ensure all relevant Flash Player files are removed.
Locate Adobe Flash Player Install Manager on your Mac
1. From the Menu bar at the top of the screen, click on Go and select Utilities. If you can’t find Utilities, it also appears in the Application folder.
2. In the Utilities folder, find and double click on the Adobe Flash Player Install Manager application.
Uninstall Flash Player
1. Click on Uninstall
2. If prompted, enter your password to allow the uninstallation and click on Install Helper.
3. The uninstaller will prompt you to close all open browsers. You can close them manually or click on them in the window.
4. After the uninstaller runs, a window will popup that confirms that Adobe Flash Player has been removed from your computer.
Confirm that Flash Player has been removed
1. To confirm that it has been removed from your computer, head over to the Adobe Flash Player website ( https://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player.html). Under the first step, click on the button that says Check Now.
2. If the uninstallation process was successful, you will get a notice that Flash Player is not installed.
Delete installation file
1. To finish off the complete removal of Adobe Flash Player from your computer, head over to Finder. In the Search field, enter “install_flash_player”.
2. Right-click on the install_flash_player_osx.dmg file and select Move to Trash.
Method 2. App Cleaner and Uninstaller
One of my favorite applications for my Mac is App Cleaner and Uninstaller. Not only does it assist you to quickly uninstall unwanted applications, but it also helps you find remaining files that are hard to find.
Launch App Cleaner and Uninstaller
Open the App Cleaner and Uninstaller App from the Applications folder by double-clicking on it.
Remove Flash Player files
1. Once opened, find Flash Player in the left-hand pane and click on it.
2. On the top of the right-hand pane, check the box next to Select All. Then click on Remove in the bottom right.
3. A window will appear to review and confirm the selection to be removed. If you are happy with the selection, click on Remove in the bottom right to proceed.
4. App Cleaner & Uninstaller confirms that the files selected were successfully removed.
5. Unfortunately, all files related to Adobe Flash player could not be removed, because we are running the free version. Upgrading to the Pro version will allow you to remove it completely.
However, App Cleaner & Uninstaller does show in which directories the remaining relevant files are stored. Similar to Step 3, select Flash Player from the left pane.
6. While hovering over the first file (Flash Player.prefPane) in the right pane, click on the blue arrow icon.
7. This will bring up the specific directory for the file selected. Right-click on the file and select Move to Trash.
8. Repeat the step for the remaining files in App Cleaner and Uninstaller under Flash Player. This should remove the Adobe Flash Player application on the left pane.
Remove Flash Player Install Manager files
Uninstall Adobe Flash Player Mac Reddit
1. Now, still in the left pane of App Cleaner and Uninstaller, scroll up and find Adobe Flash Player Install Manager. Select all files by checking the box next to Select All in the right pane and click Remove on the bottom right.
2. Review and confirm the selected files by clicking on Remove in the next window.
3. A window appears confirming the removal of the selected files.
4. Hover over the last remaining file, Adobe Flash Player Install Manager in the right pane, and click on the blue arrow icon.
5. This will open the Utilities folder in Finder showing the Adobe Flash Player Install Manager application. Right-click on the application and select Move to Trash.
6. To complete the removal of Flash Player, go to Finder and in the Search field, type “install_flash_player”.
Uninstall Adobe Flash Player Mac Big Sur
7. Right cling on the install_flash_player_osx.dmg file and select Move to Trash.