How to add Flash Player support on Moto X (especially after KitKat update)?

Update: if your Moto X (including Moto X 2nd Gen), or Moto G (including Moto G 2nd Gen) was updated to Android Lollipop 5.0, please check this guide on how to enable Flash on Android Lollipop.

Flash (flash player) is NOT supported on Moto X, by default.  This is not a decision of Motorola. It is actually a decision of Google and Adobe two years ago.  Adobe withdrew the flash player app from Google Play store in August 15 2012.

Essentially, Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich, ICS) is the last version of Android with official flash player support.

Of course, if you need flash player for Moto X, this post will guide you to enable the flash support on Moto X.

If you think your Chrome browser in Moto X  supports flash natively as the Chrome browser in desktop, you are wrong. Chrome for Android (the default browser in Moto X) never supports Flash.

When you received your Moto X, you probably already realized you cannot open any sites that require flash player.

The flash player solution for Galaxy S4 was valid for Moto X before the KitKat (Android 4.4) update for Moto X arrived last November.  You can still use the solution if your Moto X has not updated to KitKat. But I would recommend you to update to Kitkat, because of the new features and improvements for your Moto X after the KitKat update.

Once you update your Moto X to KitKat, you will find the flash does not work again.

In KitKat, Google finally cut the cord for flash. The old flash player plugins in some third-party browsers  do not work any more. This is the reason why the flash player solution for Galaxy S4 was not working for Moto X after the KitKat update.

Luckily, the new workaround is very simple. Most of the browsers are not working. The recommended (and working) browser with flash player support in Moto X is Dolphin browser.

Steps of adding flash support to Moto X (before or after KitKat update)

To add flash support to Moto X (install flash player on Moto X), you can follow the following steps.

Step 1: Install ES File Explorer from Google Play Store

Open Google Play store on Moto X and search for ES File Explorer. Alternatively, you can locate this app at: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.estrongs.android.pop&hl=en

Install this app as any other Google Play apps.

Step 2: enable apps from unknown sources

Because Adobe withdrew Flash player from Google Play store, you have to download the APK file to side load the flash player to Moto X.

For security reasons, by default, Moto X only allows you to install apps from Google Play store.

To install Flash Player on Moto X from  an APK file, you have to enable the option of allowing other app sources.

To enable apps from other sources on Moto X, you can simply go to Settings–Security, and toggle Unknown sources to on.

Step 3: Download Flash Player for Android APK file (official apk file if your Moto X has NOT updated to KitKat)

If you already updated your Moto X to KitKat, please go to  Step 3a.

Open Chrome in your Moto X, search for “flash player archive page” or directly go to http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/archived-flash-player-versions.html .

Scroll down to  “Flash Player for Android 4.0 archives” and you can find the latest apk link “Flash Player 11.1 for Android 4.0 (11.1.115.81)”. This version, although it says it is for ICS, works on Jelly Bean 4.1, Jelly Bean 4.2, Jelly Bean 4.3, and KitKat 4.4.

 Tap and hold the  apk link “Flash Player 11.1 for Android 4.0 (11.1.115.81)”, until a popup comes. Tap “Save link” (as shown below.

You will get an notification once the download finishes.

Please proceed to step 4.

Step 3a: Download the hacked Flash Player APK file

If your Moto X is already on KitKat, the official Flash Player APK file (in step 3) will not work for you. 

A xda-developers.com member, surviveland, slightly hacked the official APK file to make it work with KitKat 4.4. You may follow this link to download the Flash Player APK file for KitKat.   If that link does not work, you may try our local link for the hacked Flash Player 11.1 for KitKat ( credit to surviveland.  We are NOT responsible for the APK file. Use at your own risk).

Step 4: Install Flash Player for Android

If you installed flash player on your Moto X before, you should uninstall the player first in the Settings–Apps.

You can tap the notification for “install_flash_player_ics.apk” (following step 3 for Jelly Bean) or “Adobe_Flash _Player_11.1.apk” (following step 3a for KitKat) to start to install it.

For a few users, this may not work.  If  you tap the “install_flash_player_ics.apk” (or Adobe_Flash _Player_11.1.apk) in the notification area, but the installation screen does not popup. You can open ES File Explorer, and navigate to Download folder. Tap the apk file. Then you can install the flash player for Moto X.

Tap install to finish the installation of flash player on Moto X.

Step 5: Install Dolphin browser on Moto X

Start Play Store store and search for “Dolphin Browser”(it is free). Alternatively, you can locate the browser at: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.mgeek.TunnyBrowser&hl=en

Make sure, you choose Dolphin Browser, NOT the mini.

Step 6: Install Dolphin Jetpack (only needed if you haven’t updated to KitKat 4.4)

If you are in Android 4.4 (KitKat), the Dolphin Jetpack is  automatically installed together with Dolphin browser. So, it is not necessary to install Dolphin Jetpack.

If you are still using Jelly Bean (not updated yet), you need install this Jetpack to add flash support on Moto X. The app is freely available in Play Store.

Step 7:  Configure Dolphin browser to add flash support for Moto X

Start Dolphin browser. Tap the Dolphin icon in the left bottom corner to launch settings.

In Dolphin browser settings, you need :

1. make sure the Dolphin Jetpack is enabled

2. User agent is desktop (it is not required, but some sites may need this)

3. Go to web contents to enable flash

Step 8:  Test flash support for Moto X

Now, your Moto X can work with almost all sites that require flash player.

You can test whether flash works on Moto X by navigating (using Dolphin browser) to http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player.html

If you can see the animation as shown, it means the flash player works on Moto X now!

This guide is written for Moto X, but it also works for all other Android phones.

Do you still have problem to add flash support for Moto X? please let us know in the comment box below.

You can read more Moto X tips and tricks, and Moto X tutorials on the Moto X How-to Guide page.