This is just sad but inevitable. To this date Macromedia Flash MX was one of the most beginner friendly , yet super powerful tools I've ever used. Probably what dragged me even more into computers back when i was a kid.
Things from flash era I really liked:
* How their comprehensive tutorial was just a .FLA file , that automatically opened on the first run, that you can even edit. I feel like blender, kicad - both the tools i want to learn right now, could use something like that.
* Progress bars - you know that once the progress bar fills up, the website/game etc.. is fully loaded onto your machine and you can simply disconnect the Dial up modem and continue checking things out . I wonder if this kind of behaviour might benefit today's SPAs.. especially when you can just download a wasm blob and you know it'll be cached.. at least for websites which don't have to be searchable by a search engine and are more than just documents.
* I don't know where we went wrong but these days we download megabytes of JavaScript and so many raster images and still offer way less fluid experience than what flash sites used to be like. I know some of it also was because of responsive design requirements across so many form factors, but there's definitely something that we are missing and i don't know what it is. Svgs are routinely "exported to high resolution pngs" for websites. Something just is off.
Macromedia Flash MX was also the first version released after Adobe started running scared and fighting dirty with a look-and-feel lawsuit against Macromedia Flash 5 for its use of tabbed UI palettes: https://web.archive.org/web/20010516014855/http://www.adobef...
“Adobe's tabbed palette, used throughout Adobe's products, are being copied by Macromedia® in many of its products, including Macromedia® Flash™ 5, Dreamweaver®, FreeHand® and Fireworks® software.”
Compare the infringing tabbed palettes of Flash 5 to the non-infringing (vertically-stacked) palettes of Flash MX:
> Starting March 1, 2026, the app will no longer be available for purchase.
>> I have already downloaded Animate. Will the app still work?
> Yes. Animate will continue to work.
I wish they were more explicit in describing exactly for how long - being subscription-based, it's not really something you purchase and own to run for eternity regardless of Adobe. So, will new CC subscriptions have access to Animate? Will the Animate app even run after March 2027?
It is a bit vague, but I think that this means that you aren't going to be able to use Animate altogether after 01/03/2027.
> Access to your Animate files and project data will end on the date that support ends. To ensure a smooth transition, we encourage you to export your Animate FLA and XFL files to other formats such as SWF, SVG, and MP4 before this date.
The fact with Software-as-a-Scam subscription stuff discontinued software doesn’t just mean "it'll probably bitrot away over time" (probably a bit more aggressively with MacOS than Windows) to "it'll just be gone" is kinda mad. See also Microsoft Publisher. These are supposedly professional tools, surely they can still make it available with a "YMMV" disclaimer so they don't leave their own customers (and their work) in the lurch.
To add insult to injury, the obvious path is for studios to switch from Adobe to ToonBoom... which already copied Adobe's playbook by going subscription-only last year.
For context, although Flash Player died a long time ago, the editor lived on in "offline" 2D animation workflows where the end result is rendered out to video. Lots of kids shows are still made with it, and at least some anime studios use it (e.g. Science SARU).
I’ve used Adobe Flash since it was still Macromedia Flash, and this is the software my brain kind of defaults to when thinking of creating little graphics and animations. Just as hobby for random tiny projects.
But what do people use that is not Animate for really quick animations and mock ups?
Submitted page updated since intially discussed here
Title is: Adobe Animate maintenance mode FAQs
>>>
Last updated on Feb 4, 2026
We are not discontinuing or removing access to Adobe Animate. Animate will continue to be available for both current and new customers, and we will ensure you continue to have access to your content. There is no longer a deadline or date by which Animate will no longer be available.
My first journey into flash was creating a graphic of a spinning smiley face with a GSW for the game pimp-wars. I didn't know anything about it. But I knew I wanted to make that graphic for my "gang".
Hey everyone, my name is Mike Chambers, and I work on the community team at Adobe (and am a long time Flash / Animate user). Yesterday, Adobe shared an email with Adobe Animate customers on the future of Animate. What we shared did not meet our standards and caused a lot of confusion and angst within the community. On behalf of Adobe, I want to apologize.
While an email to all Animate customers will go out shortly, I wanted to quickly share a few things: 1) our standard approach for applications in maintenance mode, 2) changes to our plans for Adobe Animate and its status, and 3) our commitments to ensuring that you always have access to your content, regardless of the state of development of an application.
# Standard Approach for Applications in Maintenance Mode
If we deprioritize active development of an application, our approach is to move that application into maintenance mode with continued support. Under maintenance mode, the application will continue to be available, will continue to receive security and bug fixes, but will not get new features.
If we decide to go a step further and discontinue a product, we will work closely with the community to ensure they have adequate time to plan in order to minimize disruption and will take steps so that the community continues to have long-term access to their content.
# Current State of Adobe Animate
Adobe Animate is in maintenance mode. While we are no longer adding new features to Animate, we will continue to support it and provide ongoing security and bug fixes. More importantly, Animate will continue to be available for both new and existing users. This is a change from what we communicated in the email yesterday for the status of Adobe Animate, its time-frame, and availability.
To be clear, we are not discontinuing or removing access to Adobe Animate and it will continue to be available to both existing and new customers.
# Commitments for long-term content/file Access
For Adobe Animate, our commitment is to work with the community to ensure users continue to have long term access to their content, regardless of the state of development of the application.
You can find the latest information on our website:
On a personal note, as someone who started their career with Macromedia Flash 3 and Macromedia Generator, Adobe Animate has a special place in my heart. I know how frustrating and stressful this has been and we clearly could have handled and communicated this better. I might not have answers to everything, but I will try to answer any questions you might have.
True, but also a lot faster. At least, until client-side frameworks hit the scene, where one was forced to download 500kb of framework to render 5kb of text.
I recall, back in the late 90s, sitting for almost 3 minutes for a simple flash-based website to download over dial-up. That was painful.
This is just sad but inevitable. To this date Macromedia Flash MX was one of the most beginner friendly , yet super powerful tools I've ever used. Probably what dragged me even more into computers back when i was a kid.
Things from flash era I really liked:
* How their comprehensive tutorial was just a .FLA file , that automatically opened on the first run, that you can even edit. I feel like blender, kicad - both the tools i want to learn right now, could use something like that.
* Progress bars - you know that once the progress bar fills up, the website/game etc.. is fully loaded onto your machine and you can simply disconnect the Dial up modem and continue checking things out . I wonder if this kind of behaviour might benefit today's SPAs.. especially when you can just download a wasm blob and you know it'll be cached.. at least for websites which don't have to be searchable by a search engine and are more than just documents.
* I don't know where we went wrong but these days we download megabytes of JavaScript and so many raster images and still offer way less fluid experience than what flash sites used to be like. I know some of it also was because of responsive design requirements across so many form factors, but there's definitely something that we are missing and i don't know what it is. Svgs are routinely "exported to high resolution pngs" for websites. Something just is off.
Either way, RIP Flash
Macromedia Flash MX was also the first version released after Adobe started running scared and fighting dirty with a look-and-feel lawsuit against Macromedia Flash 5 for its use of tabbed UI palettes: https://web.archive.org/web/20010516014855/http://www.adobef...
“Adobe's tabbed palette, used throughout Adobe's products, are being copied by Macromedia® in many of its products, including Macromedia® Flash™ 5, Dreamweaver®, FreeHand® and Fireworks® software.”
Compare the infringing tabbed palettes of Flash 5 to the non-infringing (vertically-stacked) palettes of Flash MX:
- https://www.webdesignmuseum.org/old-software/macromedia-flas...
- https://www.webdesignmuseum.org/old-software/macromedia-flas...
And then of course Adobe gave in and bought Macromedia outright in the MX2004 era.
Wow. These screenshots hit me so hard with nostalgia... especially the buttons, move the bug examples.
It took me a couple of days to download the flash mx release on my dial up connection. Crazy days...
I think every art software I've ever used violates this patent.
From their FAQ:
> Starting March 1, 2026, the app will no longer be available for purchase.
>> I have already downloaded Animate. Will the app still work? > Yes. Animate will continue to work.
I wish they were more explicit in describing exactly for how long - being subscription-based, it's not really something you purchase and own to run for eternity regardless of Adobe. So, will new CC subscriptions have access to Animate? Will the Animate app even run after March 2027?
It is a bit vague, but I think that this means that you aren't going to be able to use Animate altogether after 01/03/2027.
> Access to your Animate files and project data will end on the date that support ends. To ensure a smooth transition, we encourage you to export your Animate FLA and XFL files to other formats such as SWF, SVG, and MP4 before this date.
The fact with Software-as-a-Scam subscription stuff discontinued software doesn’t just mean "it'll probably bitrot away over time" (probably a bit more aggressively with MacOS than Windows) to "it'll just be gone" is kinda mad. See also Microsoft Publisher. These are supposedly professional tools, surely they can still make it available with a "YMMV" disclaimer so they don't leave their own customers (and their work) in the lurch.
To add insult to injury, the obvious path is for studios to switch from Adobe to ToonBoom... which already copied Adobe's playbook by going subscription-only last year.
For context, although Flash Player died a long time ago, the editor lived on in "offline" 2D animation workflows where the end result is rendered out to video. Lots of kids shows are still made with it, and at least some anime studios use it (e.g. Science SARU).
> although Flash Player died a long time ago
They still maintain it for China actually: https://gitlab.com/cleanflash/installer
Why?
1 reply →
Adobe Animate also has HTML5 export features.
Anyone know of good alternatives to this?
I’ve used Adobe Flash since it was still Macromedia Flash, and this is the software my brain kind of defaults to when thinking of creating little graphics and animations. Just as hobby for random tiny projects.
But what do people use that is not Animate for really quick animations and mock ups?
Clip Studio Paint seems very popular for animation. You could also consider Aseprite for pixel art animation.
While not a one-to-one situation, probably Blender and specifically Grease Pencil?
Submitted page updated since intially discussed here
Title is: Adobe Animate maintenance mode FAQs
>>>
Last updated on Feb 4, 2026
We are not discontinuing or removing access to Adobe Animate. Animate will continue to be available for both current and new customers, and we will ensure you continue to have access to your content. There is no longer a deadline or date by which Animate will no longer be available.
My first journey into flash was creating a graphic of a spinning smiley face with a GSW for the game pimp-wars. I didn't know anything about it. But I knew I wanted to make that graphic for my "gang".
Backpedaled lol https://old.reddit.com/r/adobeanimate/comments/1qv5yju/updat...
copy/paste for posterity:
---------------------------
Hey everyone, my name is Mike Chambers, and I work on the community team at Adobe (and am a long time Flash / Animate user). Yesterday, Adobe shared an email with Adobe Animate customers on the future of Animate. What we shared did not meet our standards and caused a lot of confusion and angst within the community. On behalf of Adobe, I want to apologize.
While an email to all Animate customers will go out shortly, I wanted to quickly share a few things: 1) our standard approach for applications in maintenance mode, 2) changes to our plans for Adobe Animate and its status, and 3) our commitments to ensuring that you always have access to your content, regardless of the state of development of an application.
# Standard Approach for Applications in Maintenance Mode
If we deprioritize active development of an application, our approach is to move that application into maintenance mode with continued support. Under maintenance mode, the application will continue to be available, will continue to receive security and bug fixes, but will not get new features.
If we decide to go a step further and discontinue a product, we will work closely with the community to ensure they have adequate time to plan in order to minimize disruption and will take steps so that the community continues to have long-term access to their content.
# Current State of Adobe Animate
Adobe Animate is in maintenance mode. While we are no longer adding new features to Animate, we will continue to support it and provide ongoing security and bug fixes. More importantly, Animate will continue to be available for both new and existing users. This is a change from what we communicated in the email yesterday for the status of Adobe Animate, its time-frame, and availability.
To be clear, we are not discontinuing or removing access to Adobe Animate and it will continue to be available to both existing and new customers.
# Commitments for long-term content/file Access
For Adobe Animate, our commitment is to work with the community to ensure users continue to have long term access to their content, regardless of the state of development of the application.
You can find the latest information on our website:
https://helpx.adobe.com/animate/kb/maintenance-mode.html
On a personal note, as someone who started their career with Macromedia Flash 3 and Macromedia Generator, Adobe Animate has a special place in my heart. I know how frustrating and stressful this has been and we clearly could have handled and communicated this better. I might not have answers to everything, but I will try to answer any questions you might have.
The Internet got less fun with the disappearance of Flash.
True, but also a lot faster. At least, until client-side frameworks hit the scene, where one was forced to download 500kb of framework to render 5kb of text.
I recall, back in the late 90s, sitting for almost 3 minutes for a simple flash-based website to download over dial-up. That was painful.
I remember early 2000s growing up my mum would show me animated greeting cards people were sending us. Truly a magical time.