Microsoft Edge in Windows 10 Anniversary update will auto-pause Flash content

Earlier this week, Microsoft provided a bit of additional detail on the Edge browser inside of its upcoming Windows 10 Anniversary update. The firm said that users will finally have more control over Adobe Flash – once beloved for its animations and now scorned for its resource-intensive actions.

“With the Anniversary Update to Windows 10, Microsoft Edge will intelligently auto-pause content that is not central to the web page,” the Microsoft Edge team said in a blog post. “Windows Insiders can preview this feature starting with Windows 10 build 14316.” That will apply to all Flash content, including “peripheral content like animations or advertisements,” Microsoft said, which should ultimately mean improved performance for end-users who aren’t trying to view or play that content anyway.

And don’t worry if you’re visiting a site where you want Flash content. Edge will work intelligently. “Flash content that is central to the page, like video and games, will not be paused,” Microsoft explained.

Still developing with Flash? Microsoft said it encourages you to move away from using it toward open Web standards instead.