> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://blog.addpipe.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # I've disabled Flash for a week - URL: https://blog.addpipe.com/ive-disabled-flash-for-a-week/ - Published: 2016-09-06T17:09:05.000Z - Updated: 2026-05-21T08:28:56.000Z - Author: Octavian - Tags: Technology, #Import 2026-05-22 13:18 In light of recent announcements from both [Safari](https://webkit.org/blog/6589/next-steps-for-legacy-plug-ins/) and [Chrome](https://chrome.googleblog.com/2016/08/flash-and-chrome.html) that they’ll stop advertising Flash Player’s presence I’ve decided to see how ready the Internet is to move past Flash’s legacy and into an HTML only era. I’ve configured Chrome to ask me before running any Flash content (Preferences… > Content Settings… > Plug-ins). This made it easy to identify Flash content on pages since with this change Chrome overlays Flash content with a big grey puzzle icon. In a second run I’ve disabled Flash entirely from `chrome://plugins/` to see if the website offers any – HTML based – fallback experience. Disabling Flash Player showed me just how much Flash content there is out there. Some of the (big) websites I’ve identified that use Flash content had HTML5 alternatives (Twitch, Speedtest, Yahoo, Amazon, etc.) but some did not (Namely Hulu, Pandora, Napster, Spotify, NBC, CBS and YouTube’s video editor) and some only offered limited functionality (Google Finance’s stock charts). **YouTube** [YouTube Video Editor](https://www.youtube.com/edit)‘s Enhancements, Audio & Annotations sections refused to work without Flash and there is no HTML version. ![YouTube's Video editor uses Flash](https://blog.addpipe.com/content/images/2016/09/youtube-video-editor.png "YouTube's Video editor uses Flash") Some rare DRM protected videos also refused to play ![DRM'ed YouTube videos use Flash](https://blog.addpipe.com/content/images/2016/09/youtube-drm1.png) And disabling Flash Player entirely produced no HTML alternative for them ![DRM'ed YouTube videos have no HTML fallback yet](https://blog.addpipe.com/content/images/2016/09/youtube-miley-cirus.png) **Twitch.tv** Even though [they do have an HTML version](https://blog.twitch.tv/html5-beta-access-expands-99554ea982e4#.6k7iedfqn) Twitch.tv still prefers to use Flash for their live streams because [the HTML version doesn’t yet support ads](https://help.twitch.tv/customer/portal/articles/2477288). For now The HTML version is used mostly for paid Twitch Turbo subscribers. ![Twitch uses Flash for their live stream player](https://blog.addpipe.com/content/images/2016/09/twitch.png "Twitch uses Flash for their live stream player") **Hulu** Hulu is another service that’s making heavy use of Flash![Hulu's video library is entirely shown in Flash](https://blog.addpipe.com/content/images/2016/09/hulu-click-to-play-Flash.png "Hulu's video library is entirely shown in Flash") No HTML version either, with the site asking me to download Flash Player when it was disabled. ![Hulu doesn't yet have any HTML based fallback](https://blog.addpipe.com/content/images/2016/09/hulu-download-Flash.png "Hulu doesn't yet have any HTML based fallback") [South Park Studios’ full episodes library](http://southpark.cc.com/full-episodes) is are also powered by Hulu ![South Park's video library is Flash based](https://blog.addpipe.com/content/images/2016/09/southpark.png "South Park's video library is Flash based") **OOKLA** Both Ookla’s Speedtest.net & Pingtest.net make heavy use of Flash: ![Ookla used Flash for a long time to measure one's Internet speed](https://blog.addpipe.com/content/images/2016/09/speedtest.png "Ookla used Flash for a long time to measure one's Internet speed") ![Pingtest uses Flash technology to measure your ping response times](https://blog.addpipe.com/content/images/2016/09/pingtest.png "Pingtest uses Flash technology to measure your ping response times") But I was able to test my speed because [an HTML only beta version is available for Speedtest](http://beta.speedtest.net). No such version is available for Pingtest though. **Amazon** Amazon’s video reviews default to Flash![Amazon's video reviews default to Flash](https://blog.addpipe.com/content/images/2016/09/amazon.com-Flash.png "Amazon's video reviews default to Flash") But viewing them with Flash Player disabled did not prove difficult as they do have an HTML fallback. Here’s Adam’s [review of the great Logitech C920 webcam](https://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Widescreen-Calling-Recording-Desktop/dp/B006JH8T3S): ![Amazon.com HTML video player for video reviews](https://blog.addpipe.com/content/images/2016/09/amazon.com-HTML.png "Amazon.com HTML video player for video reviews") **Rick and Morty** Adult Swim’s publicly available, on demand, [Rick and Morty episodes](http://www.adultswim.com/videos/rick-and-morty/get-schwifty/) also default to Flash:![Adult Swims video library works on both HTML only and Flash enabled browsers](https://blog.addpipe.com/content/images/2016/09/adultswim.png) Disabling Flash Player brought up their HTML player but it refused to play any episodes. Their live [24/7 Rick and Morty stream](http://www.adultswim.com/videos/streams/rick-and-morty) did work correctly though with Flash disabled. **NBC** Watching an episode of [Running Wild with Bear Grylls](http://www.nbc.com/running-wild-with-bear-grylls) on nbc.com proved difficult. NBC was very adamant about needing Flash Player for their video content.![NBC is very adamant about needing Flash Player for their video content](https://blog.addpipe.com/content/images/2016/09/nbc_flash_player.png "NBC is very adamant about needing Flash Player for their video content") Not surprisingly given their video player takes the whole page![NBC's video player is huge](https://blog.addpipe.com/content/images/2016/09/nbc-video-player.png "NBC's video player is huge") **CBS** [CBS’s video library](http://www.cbs.com/shows/) is in the same situation. Here’s trying to watch CSI: Miami with Flash Player disabled: ![CBS' video library requires Flash Player](https://blog.addpipe.com/content/images/2016/09/cbs-requires-flash-player.png "CBS' video library requires Flash Player") Configuring Chrome to ask me before running Flash content quickly brought out the Flash content on the page: ![CBS' video library requires Flash Player](https://blog.addpipe.com/content/images/2016/09/cbs-player-flash.png "CBS' video library requires Flash Player") **Google Docs/Sheets/Slides** [Google’s Docs](https://docs.google.com), Sheets & Slides suite has a nice little feature where you can add an image to a document (or spreadsheet or slide) by taking a webcam screenshot. It doesn’t work without Flash: ![Google Docs' webcam snapshot feature does not work without Flash Player](https://blog.addpipe.com/content/images/2016/09/google-docs-use-of-flash.png "Google Docs' webcam snapshot feature does not work without Flash Player") **Google Finance** Viewing and playing with interactive charts of [AAPL stock](https://www.google.com/finance?q=aap) is not possible without Adobe Flash Player: ![Viewing and playing with INTERACTIVE charts of AAPL stock is not possible without Adobe Flash Player](https://blog.addpipe.com/content/images/2016/09/google-finance.png) Only static charts are shown when Flash Player is disabled:![Static charts are shown on Google Finance without Flash Player](https://blog.addpipe.com/content/images/2016/09/google-finance-html.png "Static charts are shown on Google Finance without Flash Player") **PC World** [PC World](http://www.pcworld.com)‘s homepage video playlist immediately jumped to the grey puzzle icon. ![PC World's homepage video playlist immediately jumped to the grey puzzle icon](https://blog.addpipe.com/content/images/2016/09/pcworld.png) But individual videos did play properly in their videos section: ![PCWorld's individual videos work without Flash Player](https://blog.addpipe.com/content/images/2016/09/pcworld-individual-video.png) **Napster** Napster did a great job of notifying me about Flash Player missing while still allowing me to browse the library. It has a script in place detecting both when Flash Player is disabled AND when it’s just prevented from running (Chrome setting). The same message was shown to me in both situations: > It looks like you’re missing the Flash player, or your Flash plug-in is disabled. Napster requires the Flash player for audio streaming. [Get Flash.](http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/) ![No HTML alternative exists for Napster when Flash Player is disabled](https://blog.addpipe.com/content/images/2016/09/napster-needing-Flash-player.png) No HTML alternative exists for when Flash Player is disabled. **Pandora** Pandora is the most adamant about needing Flash Player with the site not allowing you to sign in or browse their artists without Flash Player. ![Pandora is the most adamant about needing Flash Player](https://blog.addpipe.com/content/images/2016/09/pandora-flash-player-blocked.png) No HTML alternative. **Spotify** Spotify’s Web Player () did not start either ![Spotify's web player needs Flash player as well.](https://blog.addpipe.com/content/images/2016/09/spotify.png "Spotify's web player needs Flash player as well.") No HTML alternative. **Yahoo** Yahoo’s coverage of the VMA’s played correctly without Flash ![Yahoo's coverage of the VMA's worked without Flash](https://blog.addpipe.com/content/images/2016/10/Screen-Shot-2016-09-06-at-17.28.57.png) But it does default to the Flash video player if Flash Player is present ![Yahoo's video player defaults to Flash](https://blog.addpipe.com/content/images/2016/10/Screen-Shot-2016-09-06-at-17.28.15.png)