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How many web users have browser plugins installed? Can you break that figure down by browser type (Chrome, Firefox..) What are the main reasons users cite for choosing to install a plug in?
Hello! Thank you for your question regarding the number of web users who have browser plugins installed. The short answer is that the most commonly used plugins are Flash, Silverlight, Java, VLC Media Player, QuickTime, and Adobe. You will see a deep dive of my findings below.
METHODOLOGY
Unfortunately, despite extensive research by both myself and an associate, we were unable to locate the specific statistics requested. That said, I was able to identify statistics regarding the market share of top browsers, as well as a list of commonly used browser plugins. Overall, I have focused this report into three sections: popular web browsers, popular plugins, and finally, common reasons people cite for not downloading (or for uninstalling) browser plugins.
Please note that for this report, I have interpreted a browser plugin to mean "a software component that adds a specific feature to an existing software application." Should there be alternative information you want researched in addition to this, such as statistics on the number and type of browser extensions downloaded and used, please feel free to submit a second request and a Wonder researcher will pick up where I've left off.
POPULAR BROWSERS
As of January 2017, the top five browsers being downloaded and used are Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Safari. Of those five browsers, Chrome is leading the pack, with nearly 60 percent of the market share. Internet Explorer, the second most popular browser as of January 2017, falls far behind with just under 20 percent of the market share. Safari, the least popular browser listed, has only 3.47 percent, a number which has remained almost exactly the same since March of 2016.
POPULAR PLUGINS
While there are thousands of plugins available to download on a variety of web browsers, the most commonly used plugins are Macromedia Flash, Microsoft Silverlight, Java, VLC Media Player, Apple QuickTime, and Adobe Reader. This is largely because several of these plugins - such as Adobe, QuickTime, Flash, and Java - are required to utilize the majority of videos and websites one might commonly visit online. That said, the number of downloads for each of these plugins varies greatly. For example, while Java and Adobe Reader are installed on approximately 80 percent of browsers, and Flash on over 95 percent, Shockwave and Quicktime have only been downloaded on about 40 percent of devices with internet access.
REASONS PEOPLE DON'T USE PLUGINS
While the above-referenced plugins are currently being utilized on the majority of devices with internet access, usage statistics are steadily declining. A primary reason for this is that, because plugins are often out-of-date and regularly need to be updated, many users are simply uninstalling them. This decline in plugin usage can also be seen by websites that used to utilize specific plugins. For example, as of August 2015 only 10.3 percent of websites utilized Flash, compared to five years earlier when 28.9 percent did. Further, only 10 percent of websites listed in the Alexa Top 100 utilize Flash, a decrease from nearly 50 percent from just five years ago.
In addition to frustration with the need for constant updates, plugins are also suffering due to a lack of security. Due to poorly organized updates, many browsers utilize insecure plugins that leave users open to hackers. Research from Qualys found that the biggest security risks come from plugins such as Adobe Flash, Apple Quicktime, Shockwave, and Windows Media Player, as well as PDF Reader and Java.
SUMMARY
To summarize, the most commonly used plugins at this time are Flash, Silverlight, Java, VLC Media Player, QuickTime, and Adobe. However, many users are uninstalling these plugins due to the need for constant updates and potential security risks. In addition, many websites and browsers are discontinuing usage of these plugins due to the same concerns.
Thank you for asking Wonder! Let us know if we can help with anything else.