Chrome to Begin Pausing Most Flash Ads Next Week

Google Chrome is about to get a major upgrade. Beginning Sept. 1, the browser will automatically pause many Flash ads by default to improve user performance, according to a Google+ post.

Google first announced the move in June, and rolled it out to the beta version of Chrome for the desktop. On Tuesday, it will start rolling out to the stable version of Chrome as well.

This means that when you visit a website that runs Flash, Chrome will automatically pause content that isn't central to the page. So, while you're watching a video without interruption, other Flash animations will be halted.

If Google accidentally pauses something you're actually interested in, just click to resume playback.

Google Software Engineer Tommy Li said this "significantly reduces power consumption, allowing you to surf the Web longer before having to hunt for a power outlet."

This could be an issue for advertisers, however, which may start to see their ads halted on Chrome. But Google said that most Flash ads uploaded to its AdWords platform are automatically converted to HTML5, so they will still play. Everyone else using Flash should consider switching to HTML5, Google advises.

Earlier this week, Google also announced that Chrome will now "defer playback of autoplay media" until you actually visit a particular tab. "This means no more 'Where's that sound coming from?' moments when an ad for instance decides to autoplay in a tab you've specifically opened in the background," Google's Francois Beaufort said. At this point, the feature is only available in the latest Chrome Dev build, but will likely make its ways to the Stable version soon.

:story: PC Magazine