How to update Flash on your Mac (if it's already installed)

By Joseph Keller
published

While Flash may have fallen by the wayside for many in favor of newer technologies like HTML5, much of the web still relies on the old plug-in to display content to users. Though macOS no longer comes with Flash installed by default, you can still download and install it if you need to. If you have Flash on your Mac, you might be wondering how to go about updating the plug-in, especially if you've decided not to allow Flash to update itself.

Here's what you do when you want to update Flash on your Mac.

How to update Flash on your Mac if you've already got it installed

  1. Open System Preferences from your Dock or Applications folder.
  2. Click the Flash Player icon.

  1. Click the Updates tab.
  2. Click Check Now.
  3. Follow the prompts that appear if Flash needs updating.

Questions?

If you've got any questions about updating Flash on your Mac, let us know in the comments.

macOS Big Sur

○ macOS Big Sur Review
○ macOS Big Sur FAQ
○ Updating macOS: The ultimate guide
○ macOS Big Sur Help Forum

Joseph Keller
Joseph Keller

Joseph Keller is the former Editor in Chief of iMore. An Apple user for almost 20 years, he spends his time learning the ins and outs of iOS and macOS, always finding ways of getting the most out of his iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac.

2 Comments
  • Use only the method described in this article to update Flash. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT EVER let a website that offers to update Flash do it. You are almost guaranteed to get malware installed on your Mac if you do.
  • Better yet, don't install Flash. If you need Flash, install Chrome and use its integrated sandboxed version. It even updates with Chrome, so no need to go looking for dodgy updaters.