Microsoft's Edge browser will no longer play Flash content on websites that's not central to the web page. The company will intelligently auto-pause such content. Users that want to play the Flash content nevertheless can click on it to enable playback.
The new feature will come with the upcoming large Windows 10 Anniversary update that's scheduled for this summer. According to John Hazen of the Microsoft Edge Team the measure will, "significantly reduce power consumption and improves performance."
Flash content that's central to the web page will still be played automatically. This means most videos and games won't be paused. This might change in the future and Microsoft might decide to remove Flash entirely. John Hazes states about this, "over time, we will provide users additional control over the use of Flash (including content central to the page) and monitor the prevalence of Flash on the web. We are planning for and look forward to a future where Flash is no longer necessary as a default experience in Microsoft Edge."
An alternative to Flash is already supported in modern browsers, with HTML5 it should be possible to create similar experiences. Microsoft therefore calls for developers to embrace open technologies like HTML5 instead of the proprietary and unsafe Flash format.
