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How To Unblock Adobe Flash On Chrome

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Before Adobe announced that it would stop support for Flash Player at the end of 2020, the program was responsible for displaying media-rich content and other Flash-based content on websites.

Adobe Flash was the most widely used software for playing videos and graphics when you open a website. However, as content creators move to more secure and faster open web technologies, Adobe decided to throw in the towel.

If you’re using web browsers like Google Chrome, Safari, Microsoft Edge, and Internet Explorer, you’ll notice that Flash is blocked by default. Fortunately, you can still enable Flash Player from the Settings menu and use it if you need to access sites that rely on the program.

In this guide, we’re going to show you how to unblock Adobe Flash on Chrome so you can see Flash content on any trusted websites that you open.

What's In This Guide?

Why Flash Doesn’t Work On Chrome

Google’s Chrome browser has a built-in version of Flash so you probably won’t need to install a different plugin to unblock Flash Player in Chrome.

Previously, you could play Flash-based content such as videos and other graphics on any website regardless of your browser of choice. Today, it’s not possible to automatically play such media-rich content because Flash is blocked in Chrome by default.

Not only that, but Flash Player is also blocked on most web browsers by default as browser developers for Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome abandoned plugins in favor of HTML 5.

Through a feature in the browser, Google’s latest release of the Chrome browser intelligently pauses content that’s not central to the webpage like Flash animations. This was put in place because Adobe Flash allows web pages to display media-rich content that can sometimes drain your computer’s battery.

To that end, Google partnered with Adobe to make sure that your browsing experience is not only rich and interactive but also power efficient. In 2015, Google introduced a Chrome update that does both while keeping central content playing without interruption.

If you accidentally pause something you wanted to watch, you can resume playback with a click. The Chrome update reduces power consumption significantly, allowing you to browse longer before looking for a power outlet.

If there’s a site you need to visit, you’ll need to stop blocking Flash content by configuring the Chrome browser, and then change the default setting to allow Chrome to manually run Flash on the site where necessary.

As Flash Player gets phased out completely, there are several things you will miss out on including viewing all the animation and graphic elements on the sites you’re visiting.

Whenever you access a site that uses Flash, you’ll see a notification briefly and subtly displayed in the address bar on your Chrome browser that lets you know that a plugin is blocked.

While the notification is hidden, you’ll notice that there’s a puzzle piece icon adjacent to it that stays in the address bar. This icon indicates that the plugin hasn’t been loaded automatically.

If you get the Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash player error, it means the browser you’re using automatically blocks Flash content, irrespective of whether the site is Flash-based or the Flash Player version you’re using.

However, Flash Player could also be blocked from running on Chrome if you’re using an outdated plugin.

How To Unblock Adobe Flash On Chrome

You can manually enable Flash Player or unblock it on Chrome using the following steps:

  1. Go to the Chrome browser and click the vertically aligned ellipsis at the upper right side of your screen to open the menu.
  1. Select Settings from the drop-down menu that appears. The settings page will open in a new tab.
  1. Select Site Settings from the Privacy and Security section.
  1. Select Flash to unblock Flash under the Additional Permissions section.
  1. Next, select the Block sites from running a Flash button under Flash.
  1. This action will enable the Ask First option.
  1. You can also get the option to manage specific Flash behaviors on some websites when you come across Flash content. Chrome will prompt you to Click to enable Adobe Flash Player. Select the puzzle icon to enable Flash, and then select Allow or Block Flash for the website you’re currently on.
  1. If you want, you can review and/or remove websites for which you blocked or allowed from Flash settings. To remove a website from the Allow/Block list, select the Trash icon to the right.

Note: To manually enable Flash Player on Chrome, go to the Content Settings, select Detect, and run important plugin content. The workaround is just a temporary measure though as Adobe’s end-of-life of Flash gets ever closer and encourages content creators to migrate existing Flash content to new open formats.

How To Fix Problems With Flash On Chrome

If you Find Flash Player not working or get error messages like the plugin (Shockwave Flash) isn’t responding, there are several possible reasons for this:

  • Adobe Flash is out of date, hence it has been blocked
  • The plugin could not load
  • The plugins have been blocked on the web page
  • The plugin is unsupported

When this happens, you can try the following troubleshooting fixes:

  • Enable Flash Player to run on sites you trust
  • Update Flash Player
  • Update Google Chrome
  • Reinstall Flash Player

How To Enable Flash Player

  1. To do this, open the Chrome browser on your computer, go to the site with the game or video you’d like to watch, and then select Lock or Info to the left of the web address.
  1. Select Site Settings at the bottom.
  1. Next, a new tab will open. Select the Down arrow to the right of Flash and then select Allow.
  1. Go back to the website you visited and reload the web page.

How To Update Flash Player

  1. To do this, open the Chrome browser and enter chrome://components in the address bar at the top. Press Enter. Find Adobe Flash Player and select Check for update.
  1. If you see Component updated or Component not updated, you’re using the latest version of the browser. Return to the page with the Flash content you want to watch and select Reload at the upper left side if it doesn’t open automatically. 

How To Update Google Chrome Browser

  1. To update Chrome, open the browser on your computer and select More (vertically aligned ellipsis). Select Update Google Chrome. If the button isn’t available, you’re using the latest version of the browser. 
  2. Select Relaunch.

How To Reinstall Flash Player

  1. To reinstall Flash Player, open Chrome and visit adobe.com/go/chrome to install it from the Adobe site.
  2. Next, go to Step 1 to select your computer’s operating system. 
  1. Next, select PPAPI under Step 2.
  1. Select Download Flash Player and install Flash Player using the on-screen instructions.

Flash Player Errors On Chrome And How To Resolve Them

There are some errors you may encounter when using Flash Player on Chrome such as ‘the following plugin has crashed’, or you don’t see and can’t change Flash settings. Here’s how to resolve such issues.

If you see the plugin icon or an error saying “The following plugin has crashed,” you can wait for Flash to restart automatically or force close it.

  1. To force close Flash Player, select the vertically aligned ellipsis at the top to open the menu, select More Tools, and then select Task Manager.
  1. Select Plugin: Shockwave Flash and then select End Process. Close the Task Manager window, go back to the page with the Flash content, and reload it.

Note: If you don’t see Flash settings because you’re using a school or workplace device or you can’t change Flash settings, it’s possible that your administrator configured settings such that you cannot change Flash settings. In this case, you can ask the admin or check whether your organization manages your device. 

Pick A Flash Player Compatible Browser

With Adobe soon ending the Flash Player for Chrome and being blocked on major browsers, you can still find a browser that’s compatible with Flash Player. One of the best Flash-compatible browsers is Opera, which you can use on your computer to view media-rich content.

Opera is a lightweight, Chromium-based browser with minimal resource footprint. Not only that, the browser is customizable in terms of plugins and extensions. If you run into frequent Flash Player related issues on your current browser, Opera is worth considering.

The browser delivers lightning speeds and allows you to enjoy Flash content without worrying about issues like stuttering, load errors, or other similar problems. Plus, Opera is used by over 350 million people every day and offers a fully-fledged navigation experience with enhanced resource consumption, built-in packages, and good design.

Opera can help you migrate your existing data like bookmarks or passwords easily. You can also optimize your resource usage more efficiently, enjoy free and unlimited VPN for enhanced privacy, and it’s also a gaming-friendly browser.

The best part of using Opera is that it has a built-in AdBlocker so you won’t get any ads, meaning your web pages will load quickly and you’ll be protected against data mining.

Wrapping Up

We hope you now know how to unblock Adobe Flash Player on the Chrome browser. 

At the time of this writing, Adobe hadn’t ended the Flash Player on Chrome, but if you still need a browser that can do it flawlessly, try using the Opera browser.