SWF File Format (.swf)
An SWF file is a Flash movie, a mix of vector graphics, ActionScript code and, from Flash Player 6 onward, embedded audio and video, the format that carried most animation and video on the web before HTML5.
SWF at a glance#
| Full name | Shockwave Flash |
|---|---|
| File extension | .swf |
| Category | Video Files |
| Developer | Macromedia (later Adobe Systems) |
| First released | 1996 |
| MIME types | application/vnd.adobe.flash.movieapplication/x-shockwave-flash |
| Compression | Varies from file to file |
| FileFlip support | FileFlip reads this format but does not write it |
What a .swf file can hold#
These are the things a SWF file either supports or does not, and they are what decides whether a conversion keeps everything or quietly drops something.
| Animation | Yes |
|---|---|
| Audio | Yes |
| Video | Yes |
Strengths and limitations of SWF#
What SWF does well
- Vector graphics and animation scale to any size without the file getting bigger, unlike a video track
- One file could hold interactive menus, scripted behaviour and embedded video together, which is why it carried both games and video players for over a decade
Where SWF falls short
- Adobe ended Flash Player on December 31, 2020, and pushed an update on January 12, 2021 that blocks all Flash content from running in it
- Converting an SWF only extracts whatever video track is embedded inside; the vector animation and ActionScript have no equivalent in a video file
- Not every SWF contains video at all; many are pure vector animation or interactive applications with nothing to extract
There is no reason to author new content as SWF; it survives only as a format to recover material from.
Convert an SWF's embedded video to MP4 to get a playable file out of it, since Flash Player itself no longer runs anywhere it isn't specifically emulated.
How to open a .swf file#
A .swf file opens in the programs below, grouped by the platform you are on. If you would rather not install anything, FileFlip converts SWF into a format your machine already opens, and it does it in the browser tab rather than on a server.
| Platform | Programs that open it |
|---|---|
| Windows | Ruffle, Flashpoint Archive |
| macOS | Ruffle |
| Linux | Ruffle |
| Web | Ruffle (browser extension), FileFlip |
SWF questions people ask#
Can I still open an SWF file in 2026?
Yes, through Ruffle, an open-source Flash Player emulator written in Rust that runs as a standalone app on Windows, macOS and Linux, or as a browser extension that plays SWF files Adobe's own player no longer will. It covers the large majority of ActionScript 1.0 and 2.0 content and most of ActionScript 3.0, though not every advanced feature.
When exactly did Flash stop working?
Adobe ended Flash Player support on December 31, 2020, then shipped an update on January 12, 2021 that actively blocks Flash content from playing in it. Any SWF file made before that date needs Ruffle or a similar emulator to run today.
What comes out of converting an SWF to video?
Only whatever video stream was embedded inside the SWF in the first place, added to Flash from Flash Player 6 onward. Vector animation, interactive menus and ActionScript code have no video equivalent, so an SWF built as an animation or a game rather than a video player will yield little or nothing to convert.
Converting SWF files#
Convert SWF to another format
FileFlip does not write .swf files, so nothing on the site converts into this format. It works as a source only.
Every conversion runs inside your browser. The file is read from your disk, the work happens on your own machine, and nothing is uploaded. How FileFlip works names the engine behind each family and how to verify that for yourself.