Remember Adobe Flash? Well, it’s still around, mostly in ads or other interactive content here and there. It’s still important for browsers to support, despite the advent of HTML5 which has since become the dominant method of delivering dynamic content. Microsoft has not forgotten about Flash and in the next version of the Edge browser, you will have a little more control over it than you have in the past.
Flash was once ubiquitous, found on nearly every site, baked into dozens of web interfaces, including YouTube. But in recent years it’s become something of a vulnerability for users, and not all Flash content is welcome content. It is with that in mind that the next version of Microsoft’s Edge browser, the one included in the highly anticipated Windows 10 Creators Update, will put some tight controls over Flash content.
Users of the next version of Edge will be able to load Flash content only when they want it to be loaded, as opposed to when a website or web service wants to load Flash content. Microsoft promises to extend user control over Flash with a feature called “Click-to-Run” which automatically “cages” Flash content unless a user clicks on it specifically.
It’s a nice addition to an already robust browser and will certainly put a lid on some of those irritating auto-play Flash ads. The Click-to-Run feature not only makes your browsing experience a little cleaner, a bit more pleasant, it also makes it more secure. Flash content doesn’t even load until you click on it and told it to do so.
That means sites will not only be more secure but your battery life and performance will also get a small bump. Without pre-loading Flash content, your computer will use fewer resources and will not be quite as vulnerable to malicious Flash exploits.
