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Google Search Results Now Notifying iPhone Users When Websites Use Flash

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Google recently implemented a feature that warns iPhone users when search results include websites that use Adobe Flash, as Flash is not supported by the iPhone.

When searching for a site, pages that primarily use Flash are clearly marked by Google with a warning that the site may not work on a particular device.

flashexample

A common annoyance for web users is when websites require browser technologies that are not supported by their device. When users access such pages, they may see nothing but a blank space or miss out a large portion of the page's contents.

Starting today, we will indicate to searchers when our algorithms detect pages that may not work on their devices.

Google goes on to recommend that websites use the universally supported HTML5 and provides both Web Fundamentals and a Web Starter Kit for website developers.

Apple received a good bit of criticism when the iPhone was first released for not supporting Flash as it was used often back then, but interest in Flash has since been dying out in favor of mobile-friendly solutions.

Top Rated Comments

citi Avatar
155 months ago
I would expect that this would apply to GOOGLE phones too considering they don't natively support flash either.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
155 months ago
If YouTube just completely dropped Flash, I'm sure Flash would go away faster..
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
155 months ago
Just iPhone Users?

Hey Juli, Some Android devices don't support Flash either. It's not just iPhone users.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
the8thark Avatar
155 months ago
Hey Juli, Some Android devices don't support Flash either. It's not just iPhone users.
This.
The warning is for all mobile devices. iOS devices are just an unintended beneficiary of this.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannyyankou Avatar
155 months ago
There hasn't been a single time this year that I loaded a webpage and thought "oh s*it, I need flash to run this"
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Carlanga Avatar
155 months ago
Ms. Clover, your title is not proper for the message google is convening…

Android and iOS devices of today cannot do flash natively.

Proper title should be: Google Search Results Now Notifying Mobile Users When Websites Use Flash :eek: ;)

----------

This is not a feature to me. Just a complication. Google is just begging me to use Bing.

lol, but then again you own a phone and a tablet ;)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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