When you visit websites that host Flash content, Internet Explorer 11 will warn you that Adobe Flash will not be supported after December 2020.
In July 2017, Adobe made a joint announcement with Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Mozilla that Adobe Flash would cease to be supported by all browsers.
With today's release of the optional Windows 10 cumulative update for Windows 10 versions 1909, 1903, and 1809, Microsoft is warning users that the end of Adobe Flash is coming soon.
For those who do not install today's optional updates, this change will be included in the October Patch Tuesday updates
With this update installed, Internet Explorer will display a warning on websites that use Adobe Flash content that Flash will not be supported after December 2020.
This notification will be displayed to a user once every 60 days until December 31, 2020, for each website you visit that hosts Adobe Flash content.
For those who do not wish to see this notification in Internet Explorer, you can configure the value "DisableFlashNotificationPolicy" in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main section, as shown below.
Microsoft's plans for Adobe Flash
If you click the “Learn more” button in the notification, you will be taken to a page explaining how Adobe Flash support is ending.
“Microsoft is ending support for Adobe Flash Player in Microsoft Edge (both the new Microsoft Edge and Microsoft Edge Legacy) and Internet Explorer 11 at the end of 2020,” Microsoft explains.
After December 2020, Adobe Flash Player will no longer receive security updates, and all versions older than the one released on June 9, 2020, will be automatically disabled in the browser.
In fall 2020, an optional update will be available titled “Update for Removal of Adobe Flash Player” which will remove Adobe Flash from Windows. This update is permanent and cannot be uninstalled.
Finally, in the summer of 2021, Microsoft will release a mandatory cumulative update that will permanently remove Flash Player and all related APIs.
