---
title: ".swf file — what it is and how to open it"
description: "A .swf file is a Shockwave Flash Movie. A Flash animation or game — the plugin that ran these was killed off at the end of 2020. How to open one on Windows, macOS and Linux, and what to convert it to."
url: https://atoneplace.net/file/swf/
site: "At One Place"
---

# .swf files

**.swf file: Shockwave Flash Movie**

A Flash animation or game — the plugin that ran these was killed off at the end of 2020.

## What opens a .swf file

- **Windows:** Ruffle, Flashpoint Archive
- **macOS:** Ruffle, Flashpoint Archive
- **Linux:** Ruffle, Flashpoint Archive
- **In a browser:** Ruffle (browser extension)

## What a .swf file is

SWF held the vector animations, browser games and interactive banners that defined the web from 1996 to about 2015. Adobe ended Flash Player on 31 December 2020 and added code to block remaining installs, so nothing official plays these any more. The open-source Ruffle emulator runs a large share of older SWF content safely, and the Flashpoint archive preserves thousands of games with their own player.

## Converting it

A .swf file is commonly converted to .mp4, .gif or .html5. It is a binary format, so a text editor will show unreadable characters rather than its contents.

## Details

- **Extension:** .swf
- **Full name:** Shockwave Flash Movie
- **Category:** Video
- **MIME type:** application/vnd.adobe.flash.movie
- **Created by:** Macromedia / Adobe
- **Format:** Binary

## Common questions

### How do I open a .swf file?

On Windows use Ruffle; on macOS use Ruffle; on Linux use Ruffle. A Flash animation or game — the plugin that ran these was killed off at the end of 2020.

### What is a .swf file?

Shockwave Flash Movie. SWF held the vector animations, browser games and interactive banners that defined the web from 1996 to about 2015. Adobe ended Flash Player on 31 December 2020 and added code to block remaining installs, so nothing official plays these any more.

### Can I convert a .swf file?

Yes. It is usually converted to .mp4, .gif or .html5, either by exporting from one of the programs listed above or with a format converter.

## Related pages

- [.mp4 — MPEG-4 Part 14 Video](https://atoneplace.net/file/mp4/)
- [.mov — QuickTime Movie](https://atoneplace.net/file/mov/)
- [.mkv — Matroska Video](https://atoneplace.net/file/mkv/)
- [.avi — Audio Video Interleave](https://atoneplace.net/file/avi/)
- [.srt — SubRip Subtitle](https://atoneplace.net/file/srt/)
- [.webm — WebM Video](https://atoneplace.net/file/webm/)
- [.ts — MPEG Transport Stream](https://atoneplace.net/file/ts/)
- [.wmv — Windows Media Video](https://atoneplace.net/file/wmv/)
- [.mpg — MPEG-1 / MPEG-2 Video](https://atoneplace.net/file/mpg/)
- [.m4v — iTunes Video](https://atoneplace.net/file/m4v/)
- [.vtt — WebVTT Caption](https://atoneplace.net/file/vtt/)
- [.mts — AVCHD Video](https://atoneplace.net/file/mts/)

## Sources

- Media Types Registry — IANA (https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/)
- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)