Microsoft is expected to roll out a major Creator Update next year. Now, the tech company has announced that a part of the upcoming update is a Click-to-Run function on its Edge browser. Users will also be given more control over Flash content. The move is not surprising since other web browsers are also making their transition from Flash to a more secure HTML5.
Microsoft’s post on its Windows website states that the additional function will provide improved performance, battery life and security. Flash content on the Microsoft Edge browser was automatically blocked. The update will give options to users whether to run Flash or not. This is the case for sites that still depend on Flash. In addition, such choice will be remembered the next time the user visits the said site. As for sites that actually support HTML5, users will be led to a clean HTML5 experience. Flash will totally be left on the side.
The tech company is not the only one that is slowly getting rid of Flash. Apple, Mozilla and Google have also done similar updates to their respective browsers. Microsoft added, “We look forward to continued work with these [Apple, Mozilla and Google] partners, and with Adobe, to improve the capabilities and security of the web for all users.
Though Microsoft said that the said changes “will not affect the most popular sites which rely on Flash,” they mentioned that “the list of automatic exceptions” will be gradually shortened in the coming months. But they assured that the users will remain in control and still be able to choose to run Flash for the site they visit.
According to Windows Central, the upcoming Insider preview build will get this update before it is officially launched for the Creators Update. The other changes that Windows 10 users should also expect next year include adding capability to the Edge browser to be an EPUB book reader, killing off the good old Paint application and replacing it with Paint 3D, a new defacto command shell called PowerShell, enabled OAuth support for Yahoo accounts in the Outlook Mail Windows Store app, an upgraded Get Office app and the demise of the snooze tab feature on Microsoft Edge, according to the PC World.
It should be noted that the decision to improve the security of Edge on Windows 10 may be an answer to the issue in late October. Google disclosed a critical vulnerability in Windows. Microsoft was not particularly pleased with Google’s public release.
Despite the said security flaw, Microsoft assured customers that Windows 10 and the Microsoft Edge browser “offer the best protection.” Venture Beat further reported that a source close to Microsoft said that the exploit Google mentioned required the Flash vulnerability. To put it simply, since Adobe was able to patch their own vulnerability, it lessened the threat on Windows.
