While Flash is on its way out and about to be replaced by HTML5, it is still used abundantly for web content, predominantly for displaying annoying ads. Not only are a lot of flash elements irritating, Flash also consumes significant amounts of bandwidth and is known to be a security risk. So there are good reasons to block it.

Flash Block is a Chrome browser extension that allows you to block flash by default or easily enable it to view relevant content.

Introduction To Flash Block

After installing Flash Block, you should see its icon in the right-hand side of Chrome's Omnibox, which is also known as the URL or address bar. A crossed out icon indicates that Flash is blocked on the respective page. Flash elements on that page will show an empty white placeholder box with a Flash icon in the upper left corner.

block flash chrome

You can enable single Flash elements by left-clicking the respective box. To white-list the respective page and allow all Flash elements to be displayed, left-click the icon in the address bar and select Always allow flash on this site. You can reverse the white-listing by left-clicking the icon again and selecting Always block flash on this site.

block flash chrome extension

Via the Disable Flash Block option in the menu shown above, you can also disable Flash Block entirely. The URL bar icon will then turn grey. You can re-enable Flash Block in the same fashion.

When you select Options..., a Flash Block tab containing Flash Block's Settings and the White List will open. Within Settings you can adjust properties of the placeholder icon, such as its position and transparency.

block flash chrome extension

As shown in the screenshot above, Flash Block can be set up to block Microsoft SilverLight. Per default, this option is not checked.

When you switch to White List, you will see a list of all websites you have white-listed in the past. You can manually add additional or remove sites from the list.

block flash chrome

To save your changes, click Apply or OK if you want to close Flash Block settings at the same time.

Benefits Of Flash Block

Flash ads are a big irritation for several reasons. For one, they consume significant amounts of computer memory, CPU power, and internet bandwidth. Disabling Flash will make websites load faster and generally make your browsing experience much smoother. Moreover, some highly irritating Flash elements auto-play audio. And even if they are quiet, Flash animations can be incredibly distracting. Finally, malicious Flash elements have been known to spread malware. Taken together, Flash is an irritating bandwidth hog and a security risk, to name just the most prominent issues.

On the other hand, Flash still delivers some of the most compelling content on the internet. Without Flash, sites like YouTube or Bandcamp would pretty much be dead. This is where Flash Block is a godsend. It provides a quick and easy way to instantly enable Flash on any website.

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What is your biggest issue with Flash?