Google Chrome has disabled Adobe Flash content by default since 2020. However, there may still be situations where you need to access Flash content on certain websites. Here’s a detailed guide on how to re-enable and allow Flash content in Chrome.
Table of Contents
Why Flash is Disabled in Chrome
Google Chrome disabled Flash player support for the following reasons:
- Security vulnerabilities – Flash content has historically suffered from many security issues that allow malware attacks. Disabling Flash improves security.
- Battery drain – Flash content can drain battery life more quickly compared to modern web standards like HTML5.
- Obsolete technology – Most websites have transitioned from Flash to HTML5. Flash is no longer supported or updated by Adobe.
When You Still Need Flash
While disabling Flash was the right move overall, you may still encounter these situations where Flash content is necessary:
- Old websites or applications that still rely on Flash
- Flash games and animations that have not been ported to HTML5
- Legacy enterprise software that requires the Flash plugin
If you need to access Flash in any of those cases, it is possible to re-enable it in Chrome.
How to Allow Flash in Chrome
Here are the step-by-step instructions to allow Flash content in Chrome:
1. Open Chrome Settings
Click the 3-dot menu > Settings or enter chrome://settings/ in the address bar.
2. Click Privacy and Security
Scroll down and click Privacy and Security in the left sidebar.
3. Click Site Settings
Under “Permissions”, click on Site Settings.
4. Click Flash
Scroll down to the “Additional Permissions” section and click on Flash.
5. Toggle “Block sites from running Flash” to OFF
This will change the setting to Ask first before running Flash.
6. Allow Flash for Specific Sites
Visit a site that needs Flash. Chrome will block the Flash content and show an option to allow it. Click Allow.
You need to allow Flash separately for each website that needs it.
Alternative Options
Here are some other options if enabling Flash in Chrome does not work:
- Use Internet Explorer – Internet Explorer still supports Flash without extra configuration.
- Try Ruffle emulator – Ruffle is an open-source Flash emulator that may be able to run some Flash content.
- Set system clock back – If Ruffle doesn’t work, try setting your system clock back to before the Flash end-of-life date.
- Use Basilisk browser – Basilisk is a browser that still supports Flash out of the box.
Conclusion
I hope this guide gives you a clear understanding of how to re-enable and allow Flash content in Chrome. Even though Flash is obsolete technology, there are still valid use cases where you may need it. Carefully allowing Flash only for specific websites is a secure way to access this legacy content while keeping your browser safe. Let me know if you have any other questions!
