Adobe Flash takes its final breath with one last release

News
By published

Flash Player support ends as 2020 wraps up, and Flash content will be blocked in early 2021.

Edge Dev Hero 2020 Newfeature
Edge Dev Hero 2020 Newfeature (Image credit: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Adobe rolled out the final release of Flash Player.
  • Flash Player will no longer be supported after December 31, 2020.
  • Flash content will be blocked from Flash Player starting January 12, 2021.

After December 31, 2020, Adobe will no longer support Flash Player. Starting on January 12, 2021, Flash content will be blocked from playing on Flash Player by Adobe. Apart from within Mainland China, Flash Player will be completely out of support soon.

Adobe expressed gratitude for those who supported Flash Player over the years in its recent release notes:

Today marks the final scheduled release of Flash Player for all regions outside of Mainland China. We want to take a moment to thank all of our customers and developers who have used and created amazing Flash Player content over the last two decades. We are proud that Flash had a crucial role in evolving web content across animation, interactivity, audio, and video. We are excited to help lead the next era of digital experiences.

Flash Player is an older technology that's less secure than alternatives such as HTML5, WebGL, and WebAssembly. It's had a long run and helped shape the web, but it's riding off into the sunset after years of being a core component of the web.

An Adobe blog post from earlier this year outlines some options that are available for enterprises that still need support, including working with HARMAN to transition to alternate technologies.

Sean Endicott
Sean Endicott
News Writer and apps editor

Sean Endicott is a news writer and apps editor for Windows Central with 11+ years of experience. A Nottingham Trent journalism graduate, Sean has covered the industry’s arc from the Lumia era to the launch of Windows 11 and generative AI. Having started at Thrifter, he uses his expertise in price tracking to help readers find genuine hardware value.

Beyond tech news, Sean is a UK sports media pioneer. In 2017, he became one of the first to stream via smartphone and is an expert in AP Capture systems. A tech-forward coach, he was named 2024 BAFA Youth Coach of the Year. He is focused on using technology—from AI to Clipchamp—to gain a practical edge.