Adobe Flash Player is software used widely for streaming video and audio on websites. While popular, many sites now support alternative technology available natively in the web browser to replace Flash Player. Cybercriminals have a trove of Flash Player 0-day vulnerabilities leaving machines running the software vulnerable to attack. Because of this, it is highly recommended to remove flash player to help secure your devices.

If you require Flash Player, ensure you are running the latest version.

How to remove Flash Player

1. Hold the Windows Key and Press R to bring up the Run dialog box
2. Type in ‘appwiz.cpl‘ and click ‘Ok‘
3. Select ‘Adobe Flash Player‘ from the list and click ‘Uninstall‘
4. Click ‘Uninstall‘ (you will need to have your web browser closed)
5. Adobe Flash Player is now uninstalled.

Note: if you have multiple versions of Adobe Flash Player, you will need to repeat these steps for each install.

Remove Flash Player in Web Browsers

Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Microsoft Internet Explorer all come with a built-in version of Adobe Flash Player. The advantage is this version of Flash Player is automatically upgraded with Chrome or via Windows Updates. It also means there are a few more steps to remove it from your device.

Disable Flash Player in Google Chrome

1. Open Google Chrome and type chrome://plugins/ into the address bar.
2. Scroll down until you see Adobe Flash Player and click ‘Disable‘

Once disabled, it will be greyed out and ‘disabled’ will appear after Adobe Flash Player

Disable Flash Player in Edge

1. Open Microsoft Edge and Click the Menu Button (the button with three dots found at the top right)
2. Click ‘Settings’
3. Scroll down and Click ‘View advanced settings‘
4. Click the slider so that is it ‘Off‘

Flash Player is now disabled in Microsoft Edge.

Disable Flash Player in Internet Explorer

1. Open Internet Explorer and Click the ‘Settings‘ button (the button with a cog at the top right)
2. Click ‘Internet Options‘
3. When the Internet Options Windows appears, click on the ‘Programs‘ tab
4. Move your mouse and click the ‘Manage add-ons‘ button
5. In the dropdown box on the left-hand side, select ‘All add-ons‘
6. Shockwave Flash Object will appear in the list on the right hand side. Right click ‘Shockwave Flash Object‘ and click ‘Disable‘

Reinstalling Flash Player

Due to many security issues Flash Player, I highly recommend removing it from your devices. Over time you may find you need it less and less. If you are unsure whether you require flash player try removing it. If for any reason Flash Player needs to be reinstalled is can be done by visiting get.adobe.com/flash or by following the step above and re-enabling Flash Player.