How can I detect if Flash is installed and if not, display a hidden div that informs the user?

Question

How can I use javascript/jQuery/etc to detect if Flash is installed and if it isn't, display a div that contains information informing the user that they need to install flash?

Solution 1

Use swfobject. it replaces a div with the flash if it is installed. see: http://code.google.com/p/swfobject/

Solution 2

If swfobject won't suffice, or you need to create something a little more bespoke, try this:

var hasFlash = false;
try {
    hasFlash = Boolean(new ActiveXObject('ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash'));
} catch(exception) {
    hasFlash = ('undefined' != typeof navigator.mimeTypes['application/x-shockwave-flash']);
}

It works with 7 and 8.

Solution 3

@Drewid's answer didn't work in my Firefox 25 if the flash plugin is just disabled but installed.

@invertedSpear's comment in that answer worked in firefox but not in any IE version.

So combined both their code and got this. Tested in Google Chrome 31, Firefox 25, IE 8-10. Thanks Drewid and invertedSpear :)

var hasFlash = false;
try {
  var fo = new ActiveXObject('ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash');
  if (fo) {
    hasFlash = true;
  }
} catch (e) {
  if (navigator.mimeTypes
        && navigator.mimeTypes['application/x-shockwave-flash'] != undefined
        && navigator.mimeTypes['application/x-shockwave-flash'].enabledPlugin) {
    hasFlash = true;
  }
}

Solution 4

You can use navigator.mimeTypes.

if (navigator.mimeTypes ["application/x-shockwave-flash"] == undefined)
    $("#someDiv").show ();

Solution 5

jqplugin: http://code.google.com/p/jqplugin/

$.browser.flash == true

View more solutions

Comments

[MCF]

this works nice if you just want to detect if it is installed and not necessarily display a swf either way.

[invertedSpear]

Had to modify this to: var hasFlash = false; try { var fo = (navigator.mimeTypes && navigator.mimeTypes['application/x-shockwave-flash']) ? navigator.mimeTypes['application/x-shockwave-flash'].enabled‌​Plugin : 0; if(fo) hasFlash = true; }catch(e){ if(navigator.mimeTypes ['application/x-shockwave-flash'] != undefined) hasFlash = true; }"

[Kevin]

that won't work on IE7, as you're not testing the activexobject part

[Alex W]

upvote for using 5 lines of JavaScript instead of using an entire library

[Gogol]

solid answer. Thnx for the life saver :)

[Maniprakash Chinnasamy]

This will work for android mobile browser like firefox and chrome ?

[mikemaccana]

swfobject is undefined.

[Vladimir Vukanac]

Works in Firefox 39 (2015-08-03).

[zooblin]

nice solution, but in the catch case I prefer to check : (typeof navigator.mimeTypes['application/x-shockwave-flash'] !== 'undefined')

[Aameer]

solution was not working for ubuntu14.04 firefox(44.0) but @inverrtedSpear with your changes solution worked fine.

[Jose Ignacio Hita]

This is only working if the user hasn't installed Flash Player, but it's not working if it's installed but deactivated.

[trainoasis]

What if the flash is out of date ? Safari sometimes says it's out of date and it won't work until you update. How would I check for that?

[Eugenio]

It doesn't work if plugin are allowed but Flash is explicitely blocked for the website we are checking. Safari 8.0.8. In this case hasFlash is still true (should be false).

[Koby Douek]

Very nice. Thanks !

[tmarois]

No longer works in Firefox 50+ tested 2017, still says "true" when I "block" flash from running on website.

[1Mayur]

how do we dispose fo object afterwards?

[1Mayur]

seems like it is taking up memory and not release everytime this code runs. IE11 on win 7 specifically

[Sohail Faruqui]

short and sweet