Above, we have used some technical terms. So, before starting our discussion on the use of Adobe AIR, it is important for you to know the meaning of these technical terms. A Runtime Engine is software that is required by other apps to run. Many online gaming websites use Runtime Environments for their games. If that Runtime Environment is not installed on your system, you will receive a popup message to install that Runtime Environment first. Let’s talk about Rich Internet Applications, commonly called RIA. An RIA is a web-based application that offers many features similar to desktop applications. RIAs generally run on web browsers and do not require to be installed on the client’s machine. However, the client needs the installation of some specific platforms or Runtime Environments, such as Adobe Flash, Adobe AIR, etc., to run the Rich Internet Applications. Cross-platform apps are those apps that can run on different platforms. On the contrary, native apps are those apps that are developed for a specific platform, like Windows OS, iOS, etc. Cross-platform apps have many advantages over native apps. If we talk from the developer’s point of view, the developer does not need to write separate code for different platforms while developing a cross-platform app. On the other hand, if a developer wants to develop a native app for a different platform, he has to write different codes for different platforms.
What is Adobe AIR used for?
Adobe AIR is used by developers to create web apps that can be used on different operating systems. The Rich Internet Applications developed using Adobe AIR can be used without a web browser. The user just has to install Adobe AIR on his computer to run such RIAs. By developing a web app that runs on Adobe AIR Environment, an organization can increase users’ experience which is beneficial from the business point of view. How? RIAs developed on Adobe AIR Environment let users browse the company’s products directly from the web app without visiting the company’s website in a web browser. Moreover, a company can also make its web app notify users every time it launches a new product which will increase users’ retention.
Do I need Adobe AIR on my PC?
As explained earlier in this article, there are numerous Rich Internet Applications that use Adobe AIR as a platform to run properly. Adobe Media Player, ImageDropr, FlickrFlipper, etc., are some of these RIAs. If you have installed such RIAs on your system, you need Adobe AIR. In this case, if you uninstall Adobe AIR from your computer, you will not be able to run such applications. Doing so, you will receive an error message on your screen which looks like this:
Can I remove Adobe AIR from my computer?
As explained above, if you do not need the apps that run on Adobe AIR Runtime Environment, you can remove Adobe AIR from your computer. There are two ways by which you can remove Adobe AIR from your system. Both of these ways are explained below:
1] Uninstall Adobe AIR from Windows 11/10 Settings
Here, we will explain the steps to uninstall Adobe AIR from both Windows 11 and Windows 10 operating systems via the Settings app.
Windows 11
Windows 11 users have to follow the steps below:
Windows 10
Windows 10 users have to follow the steps below:
2] Uninstall Adobe AIR from the Control Panel
This method is the same for Windows 11 and Windows 10 users. Follow the instructions listed below:
What is the use of Adobe AIR on PC?
Adobe AIR is a cross-platform Runtime Environment that is used to deploy RIAs (Rich Internet Applications) on a wide range of devices running on different operating systems. These RIAs use Adobe AIR as a platform to run properly. We have already discussed this in detail above in this article. That’s it. Read next: How to fix Adobe Creative Cloud Installer failed to initialize error.
