1120676 - Implement power-saving plugin mode: pause Flash content that is off screen or inactive

Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 1208675

(Core Graveyard :: Plug-ins, defect)

Description

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

We should investigate implementing something like Yosemite's "Safari Power Saver" mode for plugins:

https://www.apple.com/osx/advanced-technologies/

Safari Power Saver. Watch not. Waste not.

Many websites display animations using power-hungry plug-ins that can drain precious battery life. But OS X is watching out for you. The Safari Power Saver feature recognizes the difference between what you came to see and the stuff you probably didn’t. If the content is front and center, it plays as usual. But if it’s off in the margins, Safari Power Saver pauses it. You’ll see a static preview, and it won’t run until you click to play it. So if you don’t want to watch something, it won’t take a toll on your battery life.

Comment 1

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

Ekr says: "Apparently the easiest thing to do is to tell the SWF that it's invisible."

Comment 2

[Chris Peterson [:cpeterson]]

Google implemented a Chrome "Plugin Power Saver" mode [1] (i.e. click-to-play "peripheral plug-in content") a few months ago and now it looks like they are running field tests to enable it by default [2], even for Pepper Flash. Chrome's and Safari's power-saving modes make Flash ads click-to-play, which is more aggressive than comment 0's suggestion to pause off screen Flash content.

To enable Chrome's Plugin Power Saver, open chrome://settings/content and check the "Detect and run important plugin content" setting in the "Plugins" section.

[1] https://www.chromium.org/plugin-power-saver
[2] https://codereview.chromium.org/1084123002/