Microsoft Edge Pauses to Stop Flash in its Tracks

Turns out there is another little feature in Microsoft Edge, the version included in build 14316 of Windows 10 which was released yesterday, that should make the fledgling browser a candidate for safest on the web.

This afternoon, over on the Microsoft Edge Developers Blog, the browser team talks about ​Putting Users in Control of Flash ​ as part of their continued effort to make the web ​dependably safe.

With this update, when using Microsoft Edge, the browser will auto-pause content that is not key to the website such as advertisements and animations that are based on Flash. Users will be able to view this paused content by explicitly clicking on the item to start it.

There are several benefits to this feature:

If the website is showing video or games as its primary content they will not be auto-paused.

​​This is not the end of the Microsoft Edge's teams efforts in getting Flash under control as it is slowly phased out across the web:

We’re aligned with other browsers in this transition from Flash towards a modern standards-based web. 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.

Eventually this feature will be in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update that is scheduled to be released in July of this year.

But, wait...there's probably more so be sure to follow me on Twitter and Google+.