The latest Flash plug-ins began blocking playback of content on January 12, 2021. Support by major browser developers, such as Microsoft, was phased out by December 31, 2020.

In July 2017, Adobe announced that it would phase out support for Flash by the end of 2020. In November 2015, Adobe announced that the next version of the Flash Professional authoring application would be rebranded as Adobe Animate to reflect the change of product focus. Developers of third-party web browsers began to blacklist the Flash plugin by default due to security issues. An Apple engineer later stated that Jobs was offended that Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen would not take his phone calls for what he perceived to be 'mere engineering problems'.

In April 2010, Apple CEO Steve Jobs wrote an open critique of Flash platform to justify his refusal to support the technology on Apple's successful iOS line, which included the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. DeprecationĮnd-of-life image displayed by deprecated Flash Player plug-ins after January 12, 2021. Malicious websites and online ads took advantage of this by attempting to trick users into downloading fake Flash updaters to install software viruses, unwanted adware, malware, and spyware that can steal their data. However, it was then rapidly updated over the following years through dozens of software updates to patch various security flaws. At that time, the player was at version 8, roughly in parity with the Flash Professional authoring application. Flash Player was previously developed by Macromedia, which Adobe acquired in December 2005.

Adobe flash plug