Plug-ins are software elements used by web browsers, often to display certain types of content such as Flash or Java. Related: Adobe Flash Player is dead, yet 10% of Macs are infected with fake Flash malwareĪdobe Flash Player is dead, yet 10% of Macs are infected with fake Flash malwareīut if you still want to use Flash Player, and want to ensure that you do so safely, read on.

As long as you quit and restart your Chrome browser daily, the browser (and its embedded Flash Player) will automatically stay up to date. The safest way to view Flash content is to use Google’s Chrome browser, which has a built-in version of Flash Player, so you don’t have to worry about Flash updates. So it’s fairly unlikely that you even need to use Flash Player anymore. Note that Adobe has announced that Flash Player will no longer be supported after December 31, 2020, and, while Flash Player content will not all disappear on that date, it has already become rare. When there are vulnerabilities related to Flash Player, which happens often, it’s important to update your Flash Player plug-in-if you already have it on your Mac and are sure that you still need it.īut you may be wondering a few things, such as what the heck is a plug-in? How do you know if the version of Flash you have is the one that needs updating? And how can you make sure you’re as safe as possible when updating the software, given the constant flood of problems that are being reported? These are all valid concerns that we’ll clear up, putting your mind at ease when it comes time to update Adobe Flash Player. If you’re interested in understanding why Flash Player was so problematic, read on to discover the saga of Flash Player.įor years, Flash Player has been a major vector for malware, and bogus Flash Player installers and updaters have served as Trojan horses to infect Macs and PCs. When updating this article, we decided to leave the remainder as is, for historical reasons. But you should no longer worry about Flash Player, no matter what websites tell you. Flash Player was long used to serve malware, on both macOS and Windows, because of the frequent updates needed to the software. Any supposed Flash Player update you see is malware. If you see something like that, DO NOT DOWNLOAD THE SOFTWARE.

Yet you may still come across websites claiming that you need to update Flash Player, and offering to allow you to download it.

And from January 12, 2021, Adobe has blocked Flash Player content from playing on computers where that software is installed. UPDATE: As of January 1, 2021, Flash Player is no longer supported. Software & Apps How to tell if an Adobe Flash Player update is valid

Can i run adobe flash on mac 10.5