Control who sees a feature
Teams can deploy code with its flag off, then turn it on for employees, beta users, or a small group of users. The software checks the flag to decide which behaviour to show.
If the flag can be changed remotely, the team can switch behaviour without publishing a new version. This supports gradual launches, experiments, and quick deactivation if a problem appears. It makes deployment and release separate decisions.
Flags need upkeep
Flags add code paths to test. Hiding a button does not secure a feature; permission checks are still needed. After a temporary rollout, remove the flag and unused code to avoid lasting complexity.