If you want to keep using Adobe Flash Player after it’s officially retired in 2020, you’ll have to play a few tricks. In this article, we will show you how to use Adobe Flash player in 2023 and the Flash alternatives.
Use Adobe Flash player in 2023
Adobe discontinued Flash Player and deactivated installed versions on December 31, 2020.
Even web browsers with integrated Flash components, such as Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome, no longer support Flash. If you still rely on Flash, you can still play Flash content with a few tricks in Windows 10.
This applies to Flash applets embedded on websites, such as Flash games, Flash videos in FLV format, and Flash programs saved locally in SWF format.
Using the following methods, you can still play or run Flash content after 2021.
Use Flash Player emulator Ruffle.
The Ruffle open source project provides a Flash emulator that allows you to run Flash content on web pages and SWF files. This is realized by browser extensions for the Chromium browser and Firefox, as well as a desktop application for SWF files.
However, since Ruffle does not support all Flash features, not all Flash applications will work. For complex Flash games or Flash applications, Ruffle may fail before.
Use Flash Player emulator Lightspark.
Lightspark is an alternative to Ruffle that also offers a desktop application to run SWF files, as well as browser extensions for content embedded on web pages. Again, not all Flash features are implemented. The developers speak on the website of about 78%. As with Ruffle, it is simply a matter of trying it out. If in doubt, we advise you to use Ruffle.
Watch Flash videos in FLV format.
For Flash videos in FLV format, you do not need Flash itself. The videos can be easily played with any video player, such as VLC Media Player.
Continue to use the original Flash.
With a trick, you can continue using Adobe Flash after support ends. All you have to do is install the last permanently functional version, 32.0.0.371 of Adobe Flash, which you can download from the Internet Archive. You must use Windows 10 compatibility mode for Windows 8 or Windows 7 for the installation. Otherwise, it will not work.
