Rejoice, Chrome 76 is here and it blocks Flash by default

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

Chrome released the 76th version of its browser yesterday. Along with a bucket-list of security fixes and other developer-focused tweaks, it brought one super important update.

Adobe Flash is now blocked by default, ahead of the promise made by Adobe to kill Flash off in 2020.

That simple change makes the billion or so users safer on the internet, as Flash has long been a backdoor for malware and other internet nasties.

Chrome 76 now blocks Adobe Flash by default

The internet let out a sigh of relief yesterday when Google turned on blocking for Adobe Flash by default in its Chrome browser.

More updates brought along with Chrome 76:

• The bug allowing websites to detect if you’re in Incognito Mode has also been patched
• Progressive Web Apps are now easier to install on the desktop
• The lazyload feature policy has been removed
• Multiple security holes have been patched (this is enough of a reason to update on its own)

If you’re an iOS user of Chrome, there are some goodies for you as well

The most useful is that when you sign up for a new site, you’ll get a suggestion for a strong and unique password on your keyboard.

Other than that, Find In Page now works on iFrames, including AMP content. Your History will sync more reliably, and you can control all your Sync and Google service settings in one place.

Android users of Chrome are getting the update now, but we haven’t seen a changelog yet so we don’t know exactly what the changes. Probably changes to how Progressive Web Apps are handled, along with a few other tweaks.

What do you think? Glad to see these changes with Chrome 76? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Planner 5D takes an almost Sims-like approach to floor plans with its new tool
• Scientists have made a contact lens that can zoom by blinking
• Netflix is testing out activity tracking as a way to improve video quality
• Facebook Games, the thing you probably never used, is leaving Facebook Messenger

Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.