Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. Guides

How to enable Flash in Google Chrome

Jon Martindale
By

Google, Mozilla, and even Adobe itself have been slowly phasing out Flash for the past couple of years: This came to a head in January 2021, when support for Flash ended entirely and major platforms, including Adobe, officially stopped running Flash and started blocking Flash content. The replacements are HTML5, WebGL, and similar technologies that allow for better security and leaner, more versatile content.

So, where does that leave you? Well, you can no longer use Flash on Google Chrome — but your Chromebook is safer for it. The Flash plugin that allowed you to enable Flash on certain sites will no longer work, and the Chrome 88 update to Chromium will remove Flash capability there as well. Even the independent, freeware version of the Flash Player offered by Adobe is set to block Flash content from running after January 12, 2021 (and Adobe highly recommends uninstalling the Player).

Recommended Videos

While this may be a step forward for the internet, it’s a letdown for those who enjoyed traditional Flash games or who worked with Flash in the past and kept their beloved Flash files. But all is not totally lost: We recommend two different options for Flash activities that may be able to bring some of the spark back. Here’s what to try and how they work.

Related

BlueMaxima’s Flashpoint

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Flashpoint is a game preservation project from BlueMaxima. It’s designed to preserve game experiences online for future use even when supporting technologies no longer enable them — which means a lot of its focus is on Flash games. Since starting in 2018, the project has saved over 70,000 games and more than 8,000 animations thanks to its band of international contributors.

The clever combination of open-source software and support for the latest technologies allow users to play Flash games on the Flashpoint platform without the problems involved when trying to use Flash. While the collection doesn’t offer every Flash game ever made, it’s still the most exhaustive list available: If you remember a popular Flash game from its glory days, chances are very good you can find it on here (except for Nitrome games, as the creator asked BlueMaxima to remove all their titles).

The software is primarily designed to work on Windows, and support isn’t a priority for other operating systems, but it should still function on Chrome. It’s also specifically designed to work past the 2021 Flash deadlines. If you have any issues with software operation or downloads, their Discord is a good place to ask specific questions and get help.

Interested in downloading? You have two options, but only one is really suitable for Chromebooks. Head to its download page and choose Flashpoint Infinity 9.0. This is a web-powered version of the software with minimal download requirements and the ability to play specific downloaded games offline. The other option, Flashpoint Ultimate, downloads everything locally so that anything can be used offline, but that requires more than 500GBs of free storage, something far beyond most Chrome machines.

Ruffle’s Flash emulator

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ruffle is an ambitious emulator made with Rust, while offering browser support via WebAssembly. It’s designed to automatically detect Flash content and translate it into a form that can be safely run on the emulator. Like Flashpoint, one of its primary goals is to help save Flash content once the Flash Player can no longer be used, but the emulator is designed to be paired with Flash content you may already have, so it’s a good choice when trying to access older Flash files on your computer or use outdated websites that may still rely on Flash.

If you think Ruffle is right for you, you once again have two different options. The first is a browser extension available for Chrome that you can extract on this page and enable with Chrome Developer mode. It automatically updates and is great for dealing with Flash issues while navigating the internet.

The other option is a desktop application that can be used offline without a browser, more suitable if you have old Flash files on local storage that you would like to access. For this version, Ruffle has a consistently updated release that you can download and implement, although it’s primarily designed to work with Linux, Windows, and MacOS, not ChromeOS, so compatibility isn’t guaranteed. Note that Ruffle can also be implemented on self-hosted websites to temporarily get around Flash problems without bringing the whole site down.

Finally, Ruffle is open-source and still in constant early development, so your performance may be a little turbulent. This is another case where it may be a good idea to join the Ruffle Discord and pose any questions if you run into difficulties.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jon Martindale
Jon Martindale
Computing Coordinator
Jon Martindale is the Evergreen Coordinator for Computing, overseeing a team of writers addressing all the latest how to…
How to use Google Gemini, the main challenger to ChatGPT
The Google Gemini AI logo.

Google's Gemini AI chatbot has quickly become one of the major players in the generative AI space. Despite its rocky start, Gemini is one of the only true competitors to ChatGPT. Here's everything you need to know about it.
What is Google Gemini?
Google first introduced its AI endeavor as Bard in March 2023 in a free and experimental capacity. The chatbot was originally run on the LaMDA large language model (LLM).

In August 2023, it introduced Google Duet as an enterprise option featuring AI-inundated Workspace apps, including Gmail, Drive, Slides, Docs, and others.

Read more
How much RAM do you need for a laptop, gaming PC, or tablet?
ram prices are increasing until third quarter 2017 corsair vengeance led ddr4 memory

Random access memory, usually shortened to RAM or simply “memory,” is one of the most important parts of any computing device. Modern PCs, tablets, and phones typically have from 2GB up to 32GB, though some have even more. But how much RAM do you need, exactly?

Adding more RAM to your computer won't make it run faster if you already have enough, though, and wastes money you could spend elsewhere on upgrading your PC. Games that require 16GB of RAM won't necessarily run faster if you have 32GB -- although making sure background tasks have enough memory is a good way to improve performance in demanding applications.

Read more
Here’s how to choose the right printer to buy in 2024
Three printers from top brands, HP, Epson, and Brother.

When you're shopping for a printer, you want good value, reliability, and great quality at an acceptable price. Our list of the best printers available is a good place to start. If you know your budget is tight, you might want to check out some of the best low-cost printers on the market.

If you can't find a good match on those lists or if you want to do your own shopping, read on to learn more about the types of printers available, common strengths and weaknesses, and the most important specs to check before making a purchase. After reading this guide, you'll know what to look for in a durable, high-quality printer that serves your particular needs without spending too much.
Inkjet or laser?
There are many types of printers, but most use either inkjet or laser printing technology. In broad strokes, they both do the same thing, rolling paper through while placing small dots on the page to create documents and photo prints.

Read more