Adobe’s Flash has been in a steady decline lately, and Google’s latest announcement may be the final nail in the coffin.
On August 27th, Google AdWords announced, “Chrome will begin pausing many Flash ads by default to improve performance for users” starting on September 1st.
This means that most Flash content on a website, such as Flash ads, will automatically be paused. If a user wants to play that content, they’ll be able to click on it to start it playing.
Google’s announcement is the latest in a series of actions against Flash. In July, for example, Mozilla Firefox blocked the Flash Player plugin.
Mozilla cited serious flaws in Flash’s security. Adobe is working to release a patched version that will fix the security issues. However, at this point, Flash’s decline seems irreversible.
For Google Chrome users, the update will likely mean faster loading times, reduced memory usage, and more secure browsing.
Advertisers who use AdWords should be aware that any Flash content in their ads will not play automatically.
Luckily, Google automatically converts most Flash content to HTML5. Google is recommending, however, that all advertisers check whether any of their ads aren’t eligible for automatic conversion, using this guide. You can then manually convert these ads to HTML5.
Besides that, all that is left to do is say our farewells to Flash. RIP.
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Written by content manager Meghan Woolley
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