In a surprise move, Microsoft has reversed its decision to ditch Flash support for its new Internet Explorer and Windows 8 products.
“We believe having more sites ‘just work’ in IE10 improves the experience for consumers, businesses, and developers,” Rob Mauceri, Microsoft’s group program manager for IE, said in a blog post on Monday.
Previously, Microsoft had only allowed Flash content to be displayed by those sites listed in the “Flash” whitelist section of IE10’s Compatibility View (CV) list.
Beginning on Tuesday, the whitelist restriction will be lifted, and only those sites listed in the “No Flash” blacklist section of the CV will have their Flash content blocked.
According to Microsoft, it has been testing websites with Flash content for compatibility with touch-based use of Windows, as well as battery life and performance.
This testing, which is said to have taken place over the last several months, has demonstrated to Microsoft that the majority of websites with Flash content are compatible with the Windows “experience.”
The update is being rolled out for both the desktop and immersive Internet Explorer varieties. For both Windows 8 and Windows RT, Flash content for immersive Internet Explorer will run by default unless it is on the Compatibility View list. Desktop Internet Explorer, however, will have Flash content enabled for all websites on Windows 8, but likewise enabled unless on the Compatibility View list in Windows RT.
Starting tomorrow, Microsoft’s modern.IE site, which it launched last month to help developers ensure their sites work on Internet Explorer 10, will also feature a tool that allows developers to check whether their sites are on the new Flash block list.
Read the official blog announcement here
