Many years have passed since version 10 of the Safari browser did away with Adobe’s Flash Player. Specifically, it was in 2015 when Macs worked with the version of the macOS Sierra operating system. Since then, successive versions of Apple browsers show the plugin off by default.
This means that when you browse the web on your Mac, you’ll see some kind of alert that a display plugin is missing to play the content, asking you to install the plugin corresponding Flash Player.
Flash was removed by Apple due to multiple vulnerabilities in its browser through the plugin developed by Adobe. In fact, in April 2010, Steve Jobs himself wrote a statement titled ‘Thoughts on Flash‘, with which it was clear that the days of providing support were numbered.
At this point, the vast majority of web pages have dispensed with Flash, betting heavily on HTML5 as a serious alternative. However, some older sites and services may require Flash to run and display, so you may need to fall back on it.
If that’s the case for you, here’s how to install it and how to make sure it’s secure. If you want to run Flash content on your Mac, you must follow the link to the Adobe website to proceed with the installation of the latest version of Flash.
In any case, Adobe also warns that since December 31, 2020 it has stopped supporting Flash Player. Therefore, Adobe’s recommendation is to immediately uninstall Flash Player to help protect your systems.
How to install Flash Player on your Mac
With some older websites that still use Flash, it may be necessary for you to install the software. Here are the steps to take:
- Click on the button plugin missing.
- Click ‘Download Flash’.
- This will direct you to https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/ that it is a legitimate site; If you are ever directed to a site that is clearly not Adobe, pay attention, as it could be some tactic of a malicious website.
- Click ‘Download Now’. The download is approximately 20 MB.
- Wait while the download starts.
- You will then see the installer appear in your downloads folder.
- Double click on the installer.
- Click ‘Install’ Adobe Flash Player.
- A window will appear warning you that the application has been downloaded from the Internet: This warning appears every time you download an application from the Internet. It is intended to protect you from installing non-legitimate applications. You already know that this is a legitimate download from Adobe. Click ‘Open’.
- Enter your password.
- Wait for the program to install.
- You’ll need to close any programs that also require Flash before you can install the update, so close anything associated with it.
- Click ‘continue’ and wait for Flash Player to install on your Mac.
- Finally, click ‘finish’.
Why doesn’t Flash Player work in my browser?
Your Mac may show you a ‘missing plug-in’ warning message, or in older versions of Mac OS X it may show you ‘Flash out of date’. You might also see the ‘Plug-in blocked’ alert when trying to view Flash content in Safari.
Flash Player often stops working on a Mac. This is because Apple automatically blocks Flash if your system’s version is out of date. By preventing older versions of Flash from running, Apple can protect your computer from security vulnerabilities.
The latest information provided by Adobe clearly states that the company stopped supporting the plugin of Flash in 2020, in view that countless websites have stopped using it in favor of HTML5.
Despite this, there are some people who want to use Flash on their iPad or iPhone, perhaps to allow them to play games and watch Flash videos in this format. If you are one of them, See how to install Adobe Flash on iPhone or iPad.
Is Flash Player safe?
Over the past few years we’ve seen countless security vulnerabilities associated with Flash, putting Mac users at risk, so we really can’t give the green light to its use. If you do it on time, do not forget to deactivate it whenever you finish as a security measure.
If you have doubts about how to proceed to uninstall it from your Mac, consult the information.
