In this short tutorial, we’re going to shed light on how to enable Java in Chrome browser. Then, we’ll explain in detail how to accomplish the same thing in other browsers.

We’ll use Windows 10 in this tutorial, so make sure to read how to install Java on Windows 10 first.

Without further ado, let’s get started!

Why it’s Important to Enable Java in Browsers

By default, Java is not enabled in web browsers even if it’s already installed on your machine.

So, in order to run Java applets on your browser, you need to turn it on first.

Bear in mind that you need to check Java updates frequently to make sure that your Java version is up-to-date with the latest release. That way, you can avoid security-related problems.

How to Enable Java in Chrome

NPAPI was a great choice to use to activate Java in Chrome. Unfortunately, the latest versions of Google Chrome have abandoned NPAPI and disabled its support.

Chrome browser versions 42 and above. Starting with Chrome version 42 (released April 2015), Chrome has disabled the standard way in which browsers support plugins. https://java.com/en/download/help/enable_browser.html

However, technology has taught us that there is always a workaround! Right?

Today, the most convenient way to make Java enabled is to use the IE Tab Chrome extension! So, let’s see how we can make use of IE Tab to enable Java in Chrome.

First thing first, we need to install the IE Tab extension on our Chrome browser.

install IE Tab extension on our Chrome browser

Once the installation is completed, we need to navigate to the IE Tab extension and click on it. The click will allow us to download a small program named: ietabhelper, a helper executable file required by IE Tab to do its job.

download ietabhelper

Next, we have to run ietabhelper.exe. Lastly, we can click the E icon to open an IE Tab (it uses the Internet Explorer engine to support Java).

Now, we can type any URL that contains Java content in the IE Tab.

How to Allow Java in Internet Explorer

Enabling Java in Internet Explorer is pretty simple. All you need to do is follow these instructions:

  • Open Internet Explorer browser

  • Click on Tools and then choose to Internet Options

  • Navigate to the Security tab, and select the Custom level button

  • Scroll down until you find Scripting of Java applets

  • Make sure the Enable radio button is checked

  • Click OK to apply your changes

Enable Java in Internet Explorer

How to Enable Java in Firefox

If you’re wondering if we can turn on Java in the Firefox browser, then the short answer is NO and the long answer is YES :)

Many browsers including Firefox have disabled NPAPI-based plugins support (which is required to run Java). The new versions of Firefox - from 52.0 Release - supports only the Flash Player Plugin from Adobe.

So, the only workaround here is to install an old version that still supports NPAPI. However, this can lead to security issues and may put your machine at risk.

To enable Java in old Firefox versions, you can follow the following steps:

  • Click on the Menu button

  • Select Add-Ons

  • Choose Plugins

  • Search for the Java Platform that you have installed

  • Make sure to select Always Activate or Ask to Activate to enable Java

How to Turn on Java in Safari

Safari has followed the steps of Chrome and other browsers and removed support for running legacy NPAPI plugins. This is why Safari 12 no longer supports Java content.

However, if you want to enable Java, for one reason or another, in old Safari versions, you can follow these steps:

  • Navigate to the Safari menu

  • Select Preferences

  • Click the Security option ( You can find it at the top of the window)

  • Choose Allow Plug-ins

  • Choose Allow Always for the Java item

  • Click Done to save your changes

Enable Java in Opera

Yet again, disabling and enabling the Java plugin in the Opera browser is simple and straightforward:

  • Type opera:plugins in the address bar type and hit enter

  • Navigate to the installed plugins

  • Scroll down and click on Enable to turn on Java

Conclusion

That’s all folks, we have explained how to enable Java in Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and Opera. We have highlighted IE Tab Chrome extension as one of the workarounds that we can use to enable Java.

We have seen that the latest releases of the browsers disabled NPAPI based plugins for security reasons.

Thanks for reading! Have a nice day!