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;
And since Adobe Flash player is going away by the end of 2020, they won't. Flash Player has supported 64-bit on Mac for quite some time. The issue reported by @ bewilderedinRiverside is for Acrobat Reader, not Flash Player. “A critical vulnerability (CVE-2015-7645) has been identified in Adobe Flash Player 19.0.0.207 and earlier versions for Windows, Macintosh and Linux,” Adobe wrote in a security bulletin posted. Dec 02, 2019 Other ways to view & open SWF files on Mac. There are other options to viewing and opening SWF files on a Mac too: Using the Flash Player debugger downloads from Adobe; Using the free version of Elmedia Player to view a SWF file; If you know of any other simple way to view, open, and play SWF files on Macs, share with us in the comments below.
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 seize 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
Adobe Flash Player For Windows 10
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.
Adobe Flash Player Mac Os 10.15
What are your childhood memories with Flash? Share them in the comment section below.