Google has proposed a new “HTML5 by default” scheme that would mean that Flash is only used as a last resort by the browser.
Advertisement
Due to the problems surrounding flash, it’s unlikely Google’s move is going to upset anyone all that much.
The feature is scheduled to ship with Chromium builds from the 4th quarter of 2016, which is when Chrome will stop advertising support for the Flash player. For example, if a website offers HTML 5, then it will be your default experience.
These sites are the top ten sites that make use of Flash according to metrics that Google gathered from browser usage. When users click on an “Install Flash” link, Chrome will show the prompt to whitelist Flash on that site.
“Today in many cases HTML5 provides a more integrated media experience with faster load times and lower power consumption. We will continue to ship Flash Player with Chrome, and if a site truly requires Flash, a prompt will appear at the top of the page when the user first visits that site, giving them the option of allowing it to run for that site”, the company says in the post. On subsequent visits to the domain, the user’s initial choice is likely to hold good, though Google is still working on the options for future prompts.
If the user accepts, Chrome will advertise the presence of Flash Player, and refresh the page.
If a whitelisted site requests Flash content to be loaded, it is loaded. But this “whitelist” is set to be periodically reviewed, with sites removed if they no longer warrant an exception, and the exemption list will expire after a year.
To further encourage that change, Chrome won’t simply be blocking Flash – it’ll be pretending like Flash isn’t even installed.
Advertisement
Chrome will allow Flash Player to run on a select number of websites, including YouTube, Facebook, Yahoo, Twitch and Amazon. Those sites now are.
