Is Downloading Adobe Flash Player Safe For Mac

Adobe Flash Player 2018 is a totally free Android app that enables individuals to watch material produced with the Adobe Flash platform. Flash has been made use of to supply special effects for internet site user interfaces, to function as a web video clip platform, as well as is the basis of lots of totally free computer game that can be.

  1. Apple has updated the XProtect security system in Mac OS X to block all versions of Adobe Flash Player prior to 12.0.0.44. This was done in response to a critical security update released by Adobe, fixing a vulnerability that was being exploited in the wild. Users of Chrome should have their Flash plugin updated automatically.
  2. Mac users are once again being urged to exercise caution when installing updates to Adobe Flash Player, after a fake update was discovered infecting computers. Intego security experts have identified the rogue package installer as a variant of OSX/InstallCore, and have updated Intego VirusBarrier definitions to provide protection.
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Adobe Flash Player is a necessary evil. We still need it for some websites and browser games we might be playing. However, every couple of months a severe flash vulnerability surfaces, and we mush rush to update flash player. Let's see the safest way to do so.

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Table of Contents

Which Flash Player version do I have?

To find our Flash Player version on any browser, we just visit http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player.html and click 'Check Now'.

If we get a 'Congratulations' message, we have the latest version.

If not, we need to update Flash player.

I am using Google Chrome. Do I need to update Flash Player?

Adobe

As opposed to Firefox, Internet Explorer, and most other browsers, Google Chrome has an integrated flash player. We can see its version both from the Adobe website and by typing chrome://plugins at the URL bar.

Provided that Chrome has Flash version 18.0.0.203 or greater, we are safe from the July 2015 vulnerability.

If Chrome has an older version...

...we still don't need to do anything. Google updates Flash player automatically when a newer version is available, even if we don't update Chrome to a more current version.

Often we just need to close Chrome, reopen it, and we will have the latest version of Flash.

How can I update Flash Player on other browsers

There is only one 100% safe way to update Flash Player. We download the latest version from:
https://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/distribution3.html

If we use any browsers other than Internet Explorer (Firefox, Opera, etc.) we need the 'Plugin-based browsers version'. It's not important if we download the EXE installer or the MSI installer, both will update Flash Player.

This method is safer than visiting https://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/.

The reason is that this page has pre-checked the 'McAfee Security Scan Plus', which has nothing to do with Flash, and we don't need it in any way.

Downloading from the distribution channel, we avoid McAfee or any other third-party app Adobe wants us to download. We also get an offline installer, which we can use even if we aren't connected to the internet.

The Flash installation or update using this file is pretty simple. We just read the license, check the checkbox, and click Install.

Once it is installed, we select the 'Notify me to install updates', so when there is an Adobe Flash update, we can download it from the distribution page.

I got this on Windows Startup. Should I update Flash Player?

Is Downloading Adobe Flash Player Safe For Mac

Every now and then, on Windows startup, we might get a Window like this:

This window could be a legitimate reminder to upgrade Flash Player, but it could also be from a malware pretending to be Adobe.

The safest solution is to close this Window and download manually the latest version of Flash Player.

I went to an illegal streaming movies website, and it asked me to update Flash Player

We never, ever click those 'Flash Player updates', especially when we find them on pages with illegal content (movies, pornography, etc.).

There is a 100% chance that they are malware that have nothing to do with updating Flash Player, and everything to do with infecting our system.

If there is a chance we have an outdated version of Flash, we must download the latest version from Adobe, and Adobe alone. If the page insists we need an update, we go to a different page.

Do I need to update Flash Player on Linux?

Firefox in Linux, even with the latest updates, only uses version 11.2.202.468 of Flash, which is vulnerable.

The safest solution is to install Google Chrome on Linux (careful: NOT Chromium), which uses the latest Flash version.

On future guides, we will cover how to install Google Chrome on Linux, and also how to get the most recent open source version of Flash for Firefox.

Do I really need Flash Player?

For better or for worse, there are still a lot of websites that use Adobe Flash, especially video sites.

Of course, YouTube has made HTML5 the default playback option since early 2015.

We are still a long way, however, from completely getting rid of Flash. But it's a matter of time.

Did you have any trouble to update Adobe Flash?

If there was any problem with the update, leave us a comment.

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Although Adobe has written and published instructions to run Flash on iOS, Steve Jobs, Apple’s co-founder, and former CEO, famously fought against the freeware.


In an article published on apple.com in April 2010, Steve highlighted the reasons why Adobe Flash Player will never be an official component of Safari, Apple’s integrated web browser. Jobs pushed hard for an upgrade to HTML to support videos without Flash. Ultimately, the result became what we know as HTML5.

1Why Is Apple Against Flash?

Adobe Flash Mac Free

Why Is Apple Against Flash?

As highlighted is in his article, Jobs main concern was never security. In fact, he explicitly mentioned that protecting the App Store was never the main reason behind Apple’s stance against Flash. Steve argued that Flash is a closed system because it’s developed and owned by Adobe. In contrast, HTML5, CSS, Javascript are open systems which is why Apple decided to adopt them. The former Apple’s CEO was against Flash because it was 100% property of a private company despite being widely available.

In the same article, Steve Jobs went on to explain that HTML5 allows web developers to create advanced graphics, animations, and typography without relying on 3rd party software such as Flash. He also argued that major video service providers such as YouTube, Netflix, HBO, Vimeo, and FOX don’t depend on Flash. When Steve wrote his article, almost 40% of online video content was viewable on Apple products. Apple was able to meet all of their customers’ video-related needs without Flash support.

Adobe Flash Player Update For Mac

Is Flash Safe for Mac?

Adobe Flash Player For Mac

The short answer is yes, Flash can run on a Mac without any major issues. However, since it is not officially supported by Apple for the reasons mentioned above, it will require some tweaking first. Here’s what you need to do before and after installing Flash on a Mac:

Free Download Adobe Flash Player 9

  • Check this brief guide to see which version works best with your iOS version.
  • Uninstall any previous version you have of Flash Player.
  • Close all applications before installing.
  • After the installation finishes, reboot your device.
  • When the device boots back up, head to Safari>System Preferences>Flash Player>Advanced then click Check Now.
  • Close and relaunch Safari.

The most important step is making sure that you’re downloading Flash from Adobe. To avoid any confusion, click here to reach the download page. In all cases, you should always make sure that you’re downloading from adobe.com and not any other domain.

Is Adobe Flash Player Safe To Download

Alternatives to Flash

If you prefer not to download and install Adobe Flash for any reason, you should try using Google Chrome instead of Safari. Chrome comes with an integrated Flash player and will not require any extra permission. Flash also comes turned on by default in Google Chrome so you will not have to do any extra tweaking.

How To Download Flash Player For Mac

Alternatively, you should consider dealing with websites built on modern technologies. Particularly, websites who support HTML5. As mentioned in this article by Aphr, 95% of websites who used to rely on Flash switched to HTML5. If everyone is switching to Flash, it shouldn’t be hard to find an alternative to your favorite website after a quick online search.