Most web browsers load Flash and other plug-in content as soon as you open a web page. Enable “click-to-play” plug-ins and your browser will load a placeholder image instead — click it to actually download and view the content.
Click-to-play allows you to conserve download bandwidth, improve page load times, reduce CPU usage, and extend laptop battery life. This feature gained popularity with Flashblock for Firefox and is now built into modern browsers.
Instead of using an option built into Mozilla Firefox, you can install the Flashblock extension.
Google Chrome
Google Chrome has a built-in click-to-play feature that works for all plug-ins, including Flash. To enable it, click Chrome’s menu button and select Settings to open the Settings page. Click Show advanced settings, click Content settings under Privacy, scroll down to Plug-ins, and select Click to play.
Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer can ask you before it loads plugin content, but this option is well-hidden on the add-ons screen. To access it, click the gear icon on Internet Explorer’s toolbar and select Manage Add-ons.
Select Toolbars and Extensions here, click the Show box, and select All add-ons. Locate the Shockwave Flash Object plug-in under Adobe Systems Incorporated, right-click it, and select More information.
Click the Remove all sites button and Flash won’t load automatically on any website you visit.
When you visit a site with Flash content, you’ll be asked whether you want to run the content. Repeat this process for other plug-ins if you want to prevent them from loading automatically.
Opera
This setting is also available in Opera, which is no surprise considering Opera is now based on Chrome. To enable it, click the Opera menu button, select Settings, and select Websites on the Settings page. Enable the Click to play option under Plug-ins.
Safari
Safari on Mac OS X also has a way to enable click-to-play for plug-ins. This setting can be adjusted individually for each plug-in you have installed. To change these settings, open Safari, click the Safari menu, and select Preferences. Click the Security icon and click Manage Website Settings to the right of Internet plug-ins.Select a plug-in, click the When visiting other websites box, and select Ask.
If a Website Doesn’t Work…
Be careful when using click-to-play plugins. Some websites load Flash content in the background. Such websites may need Flash content to work properly, but you may not see the placeholder image. For example, if you visit a website that plays music and click a play button, the music may not play because the website can’t load Flash in the background.In these cases, you’ll generally need to click the icon that appears in your browser’s address bar, informing you plug-in content has been blocked. You can enable plugin content on the current page from here.
Browsers also have options to enable plug-in content automatically for certain websites. For example, you may want to allow a video-streaming website like YouTube or Netflix to always load plug-ins without asking you.
Enabling click-to-play plug-ins can even help protect you, as so many attacks exploit flaws in insecure plug-ins. However, you shouldn’t rely on click-to-play for security. Think of increased security as a potential bonus feature and follow the usual online security precautions.
Source: http://www.howtogeek.com/188059/how-to-enable-click-to-play-plugins-in-every-web-browser/
