This free Mac app is a product of Macromedia. The application is sometimes distributed under different names, such as 'Flash Player Old', 'Flash Player Older', 'Flash Player-Intel'. The most popular versions among Flash Player for Mac users are 13.0, 11.4 and 11.2. Download Adobe Flash Player for Mac to view Flash content in your Web browser. Adobe Flash Player has had 4 updates within the past 6 months.
Adobe has finally ended support for Flash Player from 1 January 2021, and it will altogether disable the plug-in from 12 January. However, the software will continue to remain on your system. It is wiser to uninstall Adobe Flash Player from your Mac. Here’s why;
Flash Player 13 Download Mac
Why should you remove Adobe Flash from your Mac?
In 2017, Adobe asked developers to explore other open formats for Flash-like content, as it would cease development & distribution of the Flash Player by the end of 2020. And now that the day has come, Adobe strongly suggests that users remove Flash from their Mac & PCs as:
“Uninstalling Flash Player will help to secure your system since Adobe does not intend to issue Flash Player updates or security patches after the EOL date.”
So, to ensure that your Mac is safe from any harm, you should quickly uninstall the software.
- How to uninstall Adobe Flash Player on your Mac
While not too complicated, there are a few steps involved in the process. First and foremost, confirm if your device has Flash or not. Click on the Apple icon → System Preferences → look for the Flash icon.
A missing icon means your device does not have Flash, and you are good to go. But if it is present, move on to the next step.
Determine your Mac’s OS version
- Click the Apple icon & select About This Mac.
- Here, note the version of your macOS.
Depending upon your macOS version, download the correct Adobe Flash Player uninstaller
How to uninstall Adobe Flash Player on your Mac
First, you have to download and run uninstaller on your Mac
- Mac OS X, version 10.6 and later: uninstall_flash_player_osx.dmg
- Mac OS X, version 10.4 and 10.5: uninstall_flash_player_osx.dmg
- Mac OS X, version 10.3 and earlier: uninstall_flash_player_osx_10.2.dmg
Uninstall Adobe Flash on Mac OS X 10.4 or later
- Double click on the downloaded file to run it.
- In the new window, double-click the Uninstaller icon, click Open if it asks for permission.
- Here, select Uninstall, and if prompted, enter your devicepassword.
- Close or Force Quit all open browsers.
Note: Don’t quit the uninstaller window; it will stop the uninstallation process. - Once the uninstallation is completed, click Done.
- Open Finder, press Command+Shift+G, copy-paste this path /Library/Preferences/Macromedia/FlashPlayer, and delete this directory.
- Again, press Command+Shift+G, copy-paste this path /Library/Caches/Adobe/Flash Player, and delete this directory as well.
- To verify, restart your Mac and open this link in your browser to check Flash Player’s status.
Run Adobe Flash uninstaller on your Mac OS X 10.1 to 10.3
- Double-click to open the uninstaller and then double-click the Uninstaller icon to run it.
- Click Continue to start the process.
- Close all open browsers and other apps that might use Flash Player.
- Once completed, the uninstaller will close automatically.
- Restart, open the browser, & check the status via this website.
If you feel this is too much of a hassle, you can use an app cleaner for Mac to get rid of Flash.
Uninstalled Adobe Flash Player successfully on Mac!
Flash has been an integral part of my growing days, and deleting it from my Mac, certainly makes me nostalgic. But it is what it is! If you are in the same boat, check out the Internet Archive website, as they plan to preserve Flash games and animations forever.
What are your childhood memories with Flash? Share them in the comment section below.
More articles you would like to read:
Flash Player 13 For Mac Free Download
Is it outdated?
Ever gotten an error message on YouTube telling you to update your Flash Player to its latest version. Nope? No surprise there. With technology evolving to support SWF (Small Web Format) now, you don't need Flash Player to enjoy all sorts of online content. So does it make sense to still download the program?
The end of an era
Despite regular updates and improvements for Flash Player, the software has lost ground to other software programs like HTML5, WebGL, and WebAssemble.
Back in the day, watching videos and playing multimedia games online were impossible without the help of Adobe Flash Player. Even if you had a Mac, you still needed to download the software to make the most of its entertainment capabilities. But now, times have changed; what was once an absolute must is no longer in demand. By the end of 2020, Adobe will no longer continue supporting the program. Regardless, that doesn't mean you have to miss out on some of the benefits that the program still has to offer.
Entertainment and gaming experience
True to its original promise, Adobe Flash Player drives entertainment and fun with its spectacular gaming features. Using the GPU rendering feature, you can build fast 2D and 3D games in high-definition and full-screen. Its enhanced mouse control draws you deeper into the gaming experience to give you a more hands-on —or rather, finger-on —approach. For those who are avid gamers, you won't want to miss out on these fun perks.
The software program also lets you watch videos in HD with industry-standard codecs such as H.264, AAC, and MP3. It can help you create high-quality vector graphics or produce true 1080p videos. The LZMA compression algorithm lets you deliver optimized SWF files for faster download. Adobe recently improved Flash Player's bitmap control to deliver better and more interactive animation.
The future of Flash Player
Although Adobe has done well to integrate updates and improvements in this program, the company has not been able to keep up enough pace with breakthroughs in technology. For that reason, the pioneering tech company has decided to call it quits with Adobe Flash Player.
For those of you who want to take advantage of the software program, you'll have until the end of 2020 to do so. After that, Adobe will no longer continue developing the program. But until said EOL, you can rest assured that the company will offer support to current users and issue regular security patches to promise quality service at least.
Where can you run this program?
Adobe Flash Player is available on Mac OS. It has a separate client for Windows 7 or older OS, as well as for Windows 8 and 10. Linux users may also download the software on their devices. The program can be supported on browsers like Internet Explorer, IE for Windows 10, Edge, Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome, and Opera.
Is there a better alternative?
While there are definitely other applications similar to Adobe Flash Player, they don't compare to the tech giant's product. If you're looking to ween off Adobe Flash Player, check out ClickToFlash or ClickToPlugin extensions for your Safari browser. Another option is to download the Google Chrome browser, which supports HTML5 and offers YouTube.
Our take
Adobe Flash Player has served its purpose well. Its developers continue to update the software in order to keep its users safe and improve its performance over time. Yet, in spite of all of this, it won't matter any more when the program is decommissioned in the coming year.
Should you download it?
No. If you don't regularly consume Flash-based content, getting Adobe Flash Player would be pointless. Download the software only if you think you will need to access any Flash-based content. If you end up getting the program, just make sure to update the program periodically to not miss out on the latest security patches.
Highs
- Enjoy rich content
- Regular updates from Adobe
- Runs on multiple platforms
Lows
- Could become a security threat
- Adobe will pull the plug by the end of 2020
- Almost unnecessary at this point
Adobe Flash Playerfor Mac
21.0.0.242