Adobe pulls out Flash support for Android 'Jelly Bean'

Published June 29, 2012 7:47pm

Users of devices running Google Inc.’s latest Android OS may hit a sour note with Adobe, which is pulling support for its Flash Player for Android’s newest version “Jelly Bean” (4.1).

Adobe also said it will limit access to Flash Player updates starting August 15, with only those with Flash already installed being allowed to get updates from the Google Play store.

“(W)e have not continued developing and testing Flash Player for this new version of Android and its available browser options. There will be no certified implementations of Flash Player for Android 4.1,” it said in a blog post.

It noted that last November, it announced it is focusing on its work with Flash on PC browsing and mobile apps packaged with Adobe AIR.

At the time, it said it will be discontinuing its development of the Flash Player for mobile browsers.

For now, it said the easiest way to ensure ongoing access to Flash Player on Android 4.0 or earlier devices is to use certified devices and ensure that the Flash Player is either pre-installed by the manufacturer or installed from Google Play Store before August 15.

“If a device is upgraded from Android 4.0 to Android 4.1, the current version of Flash Player may exhibit unpredictable behavior, as it is not certified for use with Android 4.1. Future updates to Flash Player will not work. We recommend uninstalling Flash Player on devices which have been upgraded to Android 4.1,” it said.

As for developers who need ongoing access to released versions of Flash Player for Android, those will remain available in the archive of released Flash Player versions, Adobe said.

Installations made from the archive will not receive updates through the Google Play Store, it added.

A separate article on The Next Web said Adobe may now be looking to the future and moving towards HTML5 and other cross-platform technologies.

“As it currently stands, it looks as if Flash on mobile devices is all but dead,” it said. — TJD, GMA News

Tags: google, googleandroid, adobe, adobeflash