Microsoft Edge Will Block Adobe Flash Content By Default With Windows 10 Creators Update

Microsoft is the latest to step up its efforts to rid the world of Flash, and announced today that Flash will be disabled by default in Edge with the upcoming Windows 10 Creators Update. Microsoft hopes that this move will encourage sites to quickly adopt HTML5 content instead.

“Sites that support HTML5 will default to a clean HTML5 experience. In these cases, Flash will not even be loaded, improving performance, battery life, and security,” writes Microsoft’s Crispin Cowan. “For sites that still depend on Flash, users will have the opportunity to decide whether they want Flash to load and run, and this preference can be remembered for subsequent visits.”

The software giant says that it understands that many sites still rely heavily on Flash for both regular content and ads, so it is ensuring that the “most popular sites which rely on Flash today” will not be affected by these new default settings. However, at some point these sites will have to realize that the writing is on the wall and that the only way to a safer and more efficient internet browsing experience is to eradicate Flash completely from the face of the earth.

“This change will provide all users improved performance, greater stability, and stronger security,” adds Cowan. “We look forward to continued work with these partners, and with Adobe, to improve the capabilities and security of the web for all users.”

Earlier this month, Google also announced that Chrome 55 would also ramp up efforts to kill off Flash content.