Is Java installed?

Updated at: Sep 26, 2024

This page tells you if the Browser Based Java Runtime Environment is installed and enabled in your current web browser and if so; what version of it you are running.

What is Java?

Java is a broad name that can refer to several different things, including the programming language itself as well as different types of software that can run the code. What this page is concerned with is the Java plugin that can run in a web browser and be shown on websites.

Java and JavaScript are different things

Please note that Java is different to JavaScript. JavaScript has been a part of web browsers since 1995 and is "built in to" to web browsers (it can be disabled but not actually removed). However there was also a plugin for web browsers that was known as "Java". Because it was a plugin, it meant taht it was an extra bit of software that could be optionally loaded into a web browser to give it new features or functionality. That is what this page is about.

Do I need Java installed in my web browser?

No. In fact, it's not even possible to install it any more it's that old.

Years ago, Java was a popular way of adding complex interactivity to websites; including 3D graphics, video streaming, music players, and even things like website menus and navigation. But like most things, trends change and new technologies come along to replace old ones. The Java Browser plugin was also notorious for having security problems. There was a slow decline in Java's popularity in web browsers. In 2013 web browsers began to phase out support for the Java plugin, and it was totally deprecated in 2017.

If you've come to this page trying to install Java in your web browser, please be aware that it's not possible to do so in any sort of modern web browser.

More questions?

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