Flash vs. HTML5

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xat has moved from Flash to HTML5, and this article is here to explain the advantages that HTML5 carries over Flash.

Flash

Flash is a technology that was created by Adobe in 1996 to create animations on multimedia platforms. Those animations could be embedded on webpages, which made it a very popular resource at the time. Consequently, xat chats had been utilising Adobe Flash since their creation in 2006. Everything on xat used Flash: the chat, the smilies, the kisses, etc.

In July 2017, Adobe announced its intentions to phase out Flash by the end of 2020. It advised any business or website that still used Flash to migrate over to a more universal platform, such as HTML5.

Flash officially reached the end of its life, and stopped working on xat, in January 2021.

HTML5

HTML5 is the latest version of the HTML standard. It has been modified in a way that allows users to add features that were not possible with Flash.

xat began its gradual process of moving from Flash to HTML5 in December 2017, and it transitioned solely to using HTML5 for its chatboxes in January 2021. This coincided with the discontinuation of Flash.

HTML5 xat is currently in its beta stages.

Flash vs. HTML5

Mobile

HTML5 is supported on almost all modern mobile platforms, meaning that businesses can expand their websites to a new audience. Currently, this is how the xat.com mobile application has been made possible.

Browsing

Current technology such as iPhones and Chromebooks were unable to utilise Flash. However, HTML5 is supported by almost all modern browsers and modern technology.

Safety

Flash implemented a virtual space that allowed developers to run software on your computer, without giving them the ability to access your personal files. However, some exploits in Flash had been found that allowed malicious users the opportunity to breach outside of this virtual space and steal sensitive information.

Some of these exploits have been mitigated by using HTML5, however. This is due to the fact that the virtual space that HTML5 uses is dependent on your browser's security as well as your operating system's security, making it much harder for malicious users to steal information.

User Experience

It has been noted that when xat is used with HTML5 as opposed to Flash, there is a large reduction in the amount of lag that a user may experience.

While copying text in Flash, you were only able to copy one word at a time. With HTML5, you may copy entire messages at once.

HTML5 xat chats allow you to view how many unread messages have popped up in another tab while you have been away.