Select a browser for Android with Flash support. Browsers that support Flash Player Browsers that support Flash content

Which Flash-enabled browser for Android should you choose? This question worries many owners of smartphones and tablets. A browser is a specialized program for viewing web pages, surfing the Internet, downloading the necessary content (pictures, videos, games, etc.). Thanks to the widespread use of mobile devices on the Android platform, a considerable number of different browsers have appeared for this operating system.

In addition to the “native” browser preinstalled in the Android system, there are other similar programs, each of which has its own pros and cons and has a number of features. The user can choose the browser for Android according to his own preferences. Some people will be satisfied with the minimalism of the interface with high loading and connection speeds, while others care about the design and functionality of the browser. But there is something that should preferably be present in every Internet browser. This is the so-called Flash Player, which allows you to watch videos online, play browser games, etc.

Browsers that support Flash content

Not every modern browser for Android is capable of playing flash content on websites. In addition, Adobe has stopped supporting the Flash platform and has been replaced by HTML 5. However, the vast majority of sites still work with Flash content. Below is a list of browsers for portable devices that have Flash Player pre-installed or have the option to install it additionally:

• FlashFox;
• Dolphin Browser;
• UC Browser;
• Puffin Web Browser;
• Boat Browser;
• Lightning Browser.

This list clearly demonstrates that the variety of web browsers for Android mobile devices is very large. In order not to get lost in this diversity, it is necessary to have at least a general idea of ​​each of them.

The main criteria that determine the popularity of a particular browser are the following:

• ease of use;
• intuitive interface;
• high download and connection speeds;
• availability of additional functions, plugins and extensions;
• distribution on a free or shareware basis.

How well do the browsers from the list above meet these criteria?

Browser Comparison Review

1. FlashFox. According to the developers, today this is the only browser capable of working with Flash content on Android 5.0 Lollipop (HTML 5 is also supported). Along with a modern interface, FlashFox demonstrates decent speed and has features compatible with FireFox. Overall, this is a pretty decent browser for full-fledged Internet surfing.
2. Dolphin Browser. One of the most popular browsers for Android with Flash. The program is quite easy to use and has rich functionality, in particular, a built-in tool for downloading various files from the Internet. The menu is clearly structured, the interface is intuitive, so even a beginner will not have any difficulty figuring out what’s what.
3. UC Browser. A very good alternative to Dolphin, which also plays Flash content very well. Often positioned as the fastest browser for Android. The interface is somewhat unusual, but you quickly get used to it. It should be noted that this program is distributed absolutely free of charge.
4. Puffin Web Browser. A fairly fast and easy-to-use mobile browser with built-in Flash Player. Optimized for viewing Flash videos on portable devices. There are both commercial and free versions of Puffin.
5. Boat Browser. Boat is a fast and lightweight web browser from Google that works great with both Flash and HTML 5. Perfect for “weak” smartphone models with a small amount of memory. Despite being loaded with a large number of functions, it is quite fast in operation.
6. Lightning Browser. One of the fastest and lightest browsers on this list. The standard version is only about 200 kilobytes in size. The interface doesn't stand out in any way, which is more than compensated for by the almost instant loading of pages.

In conclusion, it should be noted that the ability to work with Flash content directly depends on both the Android OS generation and the version of the browser itself, so when choosing the latter, the optimal solution would be to try all the options to choose the best one.

Not long ago, Adobe stopped loading Adobe Flash Player on Android, so it is often replaced by other video viewing programs, such as HTML5. And if you want to install Flash Player on Android 4, you will have to look for suitable browsers, because it simply isn’t available in the Play Store. Below - .

Features of installation and use

Many browsers that support Flash Player, are additionally downloaded so that the user can watch videos or films. In this case, no animation is performed. This is done for security and protection against viruses. If HTML5 is not suitable for you, you need to look for other ways to install and configure Adobe Flash Player on your tablet or phone. Here are sample installation instructions:

• download BoatBrowser from the Play Store, since it is the only one that works with Flash Player (you can find other options, but this one is the most reliable);
• during installation, allow the downloading of information and products from suspicious sites (this is necessary in order to later download the best Flash Player for Android);

• If, when downloading the browser, permission to work with unknown sources was not displayed, go to the settings and enable it manually;
• go to the Adobe archive using the links: or ;
• click on the downloaded file and unpack it;
• Next you need to activate the flash by going to the settings of the previously downloaded browser (go to settings, then to web content, then to enable the plugin, permanent activation);
• from now on, all types of information will be available on the selected resources.

Once the procedure is complete, it is important that you disable permission to download from suspicious sites. To do this, you need to go back to your phone and download settings. This is done for the safety and full operation of the gadget.

Other browsers that support Flash Player

There are several more browsers for Android with Flash support:

• Firefox: Heavy for a phone and average in speed. The browser supports all pages, displays and loads them quickly. Can block ads and is easy to configure, supports flash;
• Skyfire: considered a computer browser, but also suitable for phones, fully supports Flash;
• UCBrowser: features speed, battery saving, fast page turning and loading. Supports flash, easily customizable for the user. But when downloading, the files may be incomplete, although it is quite enough for daily Internet use.

There are other browser options, but they are considered copies and fakes with a lot of errors and problems. Therefore, of the options offered, it is better to choose Firefox or UCBrowser.

conclusions

Despite the ease of use of Flash Player and the ability to download it on Android, it is better to use resources with HTML5. The latter can be used in all browsers and for different types of content. This will also allow you to avoid errors in use (there is no official support from Adobe) and downloading additional programs.

The choice is yours, but consider the frequency of visiting the Internet and watching videos, synchronizing this with the capabilities of the gadget.

The Photon and FlashFox web browsers won't let you be caught off guard by giving you access to Flash content when needed.

By and large, the above content can be accessed using other browsers, such as Firefox, by downloading a Flash apk file that is no longer supported by Adobe, but not every user has the technical savvy to do this. In addition, these two browsers are easy to download and use - no additional steps are required.

So let's start our flash battle!

Speed ​​and gaming compatibility

Since flash games froze several times, I decided to test the Star Gazer game on both browsers. On my WiFi, this game loaded almost instantly (in both browsers). A small caveat: Photon includes ads for you before you start downloading Flash content. The duration of commercials ranges from 15 to 30 seconds, but after 8 seconds you can skip them.

However, Star Gazer could only be played on Photon. And while I love FlashFox because it allows you to watch Flash videos, its touch interface is not designed for Flash games. This browser has a convenient function in the lower left corner - an analogue of a mouse, thanks to which you can play flash games. So if you are willing to wait for ads and want to play flash games, then the Photon browser is what you need.

Working with Browsers

FlashFox, as you can see below, has a more modern interface. It's lighter and has a menu similar to the Chrome browser for Android. In terms of aesthetics, the FlashFox can be compared to a polished Batmobile, while the Photon can be compared to an old and rusty pickup truck.

Photon's color scheme is boring blacks and grays, reminiscent of the Gingerbread days. The scroll box at the top contains open tabs, unlike FlashFox where they can be accessed using a button. That's not to say that these are bad, but they do take up valuable display space.

If you click on the “Tabs” button in FlashFox, a screen will appear as shown below, where your current window in a reduced form will be located at the bottom, and you can switch to other tabs with a quick click. To close tabs, you can click on the "X" icon on the right or drag them to the side with your finger.

The browser in question also has a "Private" mode, similar to Chrome's "Incognito" mode, designed for all your completely legal and untraceable internet browsing needs. In FlashFox's settings, there is a Do Not Track option, by clicking which you can be sure that websites will not track you, even if you have the Private mode turned off.

Note that FlashFox is compatible with FireFox Sync, which allows you to keep all your data (for example, bookmarks) synchronized between devices. FlashFox is even compatible with FireFox extensions, which will greatly help you while surfing the Internet.

The Photon browser doesn't have many features, other than the mouse analogue mentioned earlier. In addition to it, we can also mention such functions as life saver (energy saving function?), bookmarks, private browsing mode and pop-up blocker.

Prices

Both FlashFox and Photon are free to use, although the paid version of FlashFox will cost you $2.99 ​​per year, Photon is slightly more expensive at $9.99.

With the free versions of these browsers, you'll get banner ads in the bottom margin of the screen, and as mentioned earlier, Photon plays commercials before you access Flash content.

If you're planning on paying for these browsers and admiring the cute penguin-like seabirds, then you'll probably want to check out the Puffin browser, which we've already covered for iOS. This is another good Flash-compatible browser, but only a trial version is available for Android with a set of free options, and after the trial period you have to pay.