Microsoft Edge Browser to Start Automatically Pausing Flash Content

Microsoft has announced that much like Apple, Google, and Mozilla, it too is wary of Flash. The company says that it will introduce changes to its new Web browser Edge alongside the Windows 10 Anniversary Update later this year to give users more control over Flash content. The company also noted that it doesn’t see Flash being a part of Edge in the future.

In a blog post, Edge team announced that, by default, the Web browser will pause Flash content such as advertisements and peripheral animations when a user visits such a Flash-rich webpage. The company says that there are plenty of Flash alternatives that a developer can use instead.

The company urges developers to move to “a future where Flash is no longer necessary as a default experience in Microsoft Edge.” The ultimate goal is to adopt newer standards such as RTC and Web Audio. In the coming months, the company says it will work on bringing more Flash control to users.

“Flash has been an integral part of the web for decades, enabling rich content and animations in browsers since before HTML5 was introduced. In modern browsers, Web standards pioneered byMicrosoft, Adobe, Google, Apple, Mozilla, and many others are now enabling sites to exceed those experiences without Flash and with improved performance and security,” the company wrote in a blog post.

Google made a similar announcement for Chrome last year. At the time, the company noted that Flash content was impacting battery and memory hog. “This transition to modern Web standards has benefited users and developers alike. Users experience improved battery life when sites use efficient web standards, lowering both memory and CPU demands. Developers benefit as they are able to create sites that work across all browsers and devices, including mobile devices where Flash may not be available.”