Google today announced the launch of Google Swiffy, a new Google Labs effort to produce a tool capable of converting Flash content to HTML5 for display on non-Flash devices such as the iPhone and iPad.

You can upload a SWF file, and Swiffy will produce an HTML5 version which will run in modern browsers with a high level of SVG support such as Chrome and Safari. It’s still an early version, so it won’t convert all Flash content, but it already works well on ads and animations.

Google has posted a small gallery showing examples of Flash content converted to HTML5 by Swiffy.

swiffy symphony orchestra comparison still
Earlier this year, Adobe released its own Flash-to-HTML5 converter known as "Wallaby". Neither Wallaby nor Swiffy is yet able to handle advanced Flash animations for such content complex interactive games, but both companies are obviously looking for ways to make it easy to move Flash content onto non-Flash devices. As Google notes in its Swiffy FAQ, Wallaby is designed to produce editable code by reusing some of the Flash elements in the HTML5 result, while Swiffy's focus is simply on presentation and yields a less-editable final product.

Top Rated Comments

baleensavage Avatar
187 months ago
I shudder to think of the garbage code these automatic converters are going to create. IMHO a much better solution is to have a development environment that is able to output both Flash and HTML5 content rather than a basic converter that takes Flash content and shoehorns it into HTML5 output.

Now if this was an iOS app that could load Flash pages on the fly by converting them to HTML5, that would be another story...
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Anonymous Freak Avatar
187 months ago
WOW, this is such a great tool, and I can't believe it exists! Now I can make some websites in Flash (in my opinion, a much easier to use tool), and I can most likely easily convert all of it to HTML5. I can't wait to use it!

Please don't.

The vast majority of Flash websites are crap. Even if the ones you create are the exception, don't use an automated tool to do what you should have done in the first place - program in HTML5.

If you're going to make an HTML5 website, take the time to learn to do it properly.

(Note, I have no basis of comparison for your Flash websites, you could very well be one of the people who designs them well, I have seen good Flash website designers. But even the best-made Flash website would suck ass when run through this converter. As Google admits, it works best on small things like ads.)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macUser2007 Avatar
187 months ago
I think you'll find that every modern web browser can handle HTML5 perfectly fine ;)

...
Perfectly fine?!

Take a look at http://html5test.com/results.html

Not even close....

To boot, Apple's Safari's HTML5 support is behind both Firefox and Google.

To boot even more, iOS 4.3's HTML5 support is behind both Android's and WebOS's.

Anyway, I like HTML5, but I also like Flash. They are both useful. Flash can do way more complex animations, however.

The ban on Flash is because Jobs tried to become the mobile Google with iAd. But iAd is failing miserably, so in a year or so I'd imagine iOS will have Flash. Flash sites run perfectly fine on my Google Nexus S, by the way.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
e32boy Avatar
187 months ago
So I converted a 40K swf with this tool.
Ended up being a 400K file and didn't end up looking exactly like the swf file and plays soooooooo slowwwwwww on my iOS devices.

I don't get this anti flash thing.

The more available options the better for all users.
HTML5 and CSS3 can play nice with swf & flv.

SJ's swf ban has more to do with economics of the app store than a better user experience.

at lease now you can block swf ads.
HTML5? nope.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adrianweller Avatar
187 months ago
Adobe have already solved this problem

With PDF!
If you create a document in InDesign, you send it to the printer's as a PDF.
If you create a document in Illustrator, you send it to the printer's as a PDF.
If you create a document in Photoshop, you send it to the printer's as a PDF.
If you create a document in Word, you send it to the printer's as a PDF, and they throw it back in your face (there are some things even Adobe can't fix!!).

The point is, different software can create a common file type that is capable of delivering all of the content exactly as intended. The Postscript RIP at the printer's is the equivalent of the HTML 5 browser.

Adobe need to implement a similar solution with Flash on web browsers.
I'm not saying it's easy, but any company that came up with pure genius like postscript, PDF, and the incredible Transparency flattener (for the print-media people out there) can do it!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
winston1236 Avatar
187 months ago
Swiffy? Isn't that the thing you use to sweep your hardwood floors? The swiffy quicky-picker-upper!

no thats swiffer
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Spotlight

Report: Apple to Launch These New Products in 2026

Sunday November 2, 2025 5:34 am PST by
Apple is planning to launch at least 15 new products in 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman outlined what to expect from Apple in 2026 in the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter. He said the company is heading "into one of its most pivotal years in recent memory," with the rollout of major new Apple Intelligence features, intense regulatory pressure on the App Store,...
ios 26 1 slide to stop

iOS 26.1 Brings Back 2007 Feature in New Way

Friday October 31, 2025 1:40 pm PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a small but helpful change for iPhones, and it could prevent you from running late to something important. Specifically, when an alarm goes off in the Clock app, there is a new "slide to stop" control on the screen for turning off the alarm. On previous iOS 26 versions, there is simply a large "stop" button, which could be accidentally tapped. The new ...
Apple Intelligence General Feature 2

New Version of Siri to 'Lean' on Google Gemini

Sunday November 2, 2025 6:06 am PST by
In his "Power On" newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today provided an update on the status of Apple Intelligence and the plans for it in 2026. Apple is still planning to roll out its revamped version of Siri around March of next year. The release should be accompanied by the release of a new smart home display product with speaker-base and wall-mount options. A new Apple TV and HomePod...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

New Apple TV and HomePod Mini Likely Launching Soon

Sunday November 2, 2025 5:49 am PST by
A new Apple TV and HomePod mini could launch as soon as this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today suggested. In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple retail stores are planning an overnight refresh on the evening of November 11, where changes will be made after closing, such as refreshing displays and placing new products for the following day. The timing of the overnight...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.1 With Liquid Glass Toggle, Slide to Stop Alarm, New Apple Intelligence Languages and More

Monday November 3, 2025 1:11 pm PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.1, the first major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.1 comes over a month after iOS 26 launched. ‌iOS 26‌.1 is compatible with the ‌iPhone‌ 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings > General >...
Apple Foldable Thumb

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Friday October 31, 2025 8:52 am PDT by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that have been leaked about Apple's foldable iPhone so far. Ove...
Early Black Friday Deals 2

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals

Sunday November 2, 2025 10:04 am PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
M5 MacBook Pro

Waiting for New Macs? Apple Just Shared Bad News

Friday October 31, 2025 7:32 am PDT by
Apple has just given a strong indication that it will not be releasing any additional new Macs for the remainder of the year. Apple's CFO Kevan Parekh dropped the hint during the company's earnings call on Thursday:On Mac, keep in mind, we expect to face a very difficult compare against the M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac launches in the year-ago quarter.Parekh essentially gave a heads up ...