New Update Vivaldi 5.0 launches with major tab improvements on Android, translate panel on desktop

silversurfer

Level 85
Thread author
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Content Creator
Malware Hunter
Well-known
Aug 17, 2014
10,057

Vivaldi 5.0 for the desktop​

The desktop version of Vivaldi has seen improvements in two main areas in this update: themes and translation.

Themes can now be created and shared using Vivaldi; the feature opens up new options, including downloading themes from the new themes repository on Vivaldi's website.

To get started, select Vivaldi Menu > Tools > Settings > Themes. Switch to the Editor on the page to edit theme colors, settings and background images. The new export option is found on the page as well. Themes are exported as zip archives and they can be imported at any time using the new import option.

The browser's translate feature, powered by a self-hosted instance of Lingvanex, has seen improvements in Vivaldi 5.0 as well. The new Translate Panel enables users to translate snippets of text in the browser. While you could translate selected texts before in Vivaldi, it is becoming easier with the new Translate Panel.

Select the Translate icon from the browser's sidebar to get started. You may need to activate the sidebar with a click on the leftmost icon in the lower toolbar of the browser.

The Translate panel accepts copy and paste input, but it may also be set up to translate text selections automatically. Check the "auto-translate selected text" option from the panel for that.

Vivaldi includes a translate history page to look up previous translations in the browser.

Translations should also be faster according to Vivaldi:
It is challenging to integrate a translation feature in a browser and make everything work quickly under a high load. So, a lot of work has been put in to reach this ambitious goal. With significant development and rigorous testing before the launch, the speed improvements will help provide you with faster translations.


Vivaldi 5.0 for Android​

Vivaldi 5.0 for Android improves tab management in the Vivaldi browser significantly. The mobile browser supported a tab bar on Android already, similarly to how tab bars work on desktop browsers.

With Vivaldi 5.0 comes support for two-level tab stacks. The feature adds a second tab bar on the user's request to the selected tab.

Here is how you enable it:
  1. Long-tap on the "new tab" icon in the Vivaldi for Android interface. A selection menu is displayed.
  2. Select "Create new tab stack" from the context menu.
The Tab Stack is added to the active tab. All other tabs that are open remain single-level tabs. Another option to open a tab stack in the mobile version of Vivaldi is to do so from the Tab Switcher. Vivaldi explains how that works in the following sentence:
While looking at the tab thumbnails, simply drag one tab on top of another to create a new stack.

The new Vivaldi version for Android introduces two additional tab-related improvements. The close button is only displayed on the active tab by default. Vivaldi users may restore the close button on all tabs in the Settings.

Users who have lots of tabs open in the browser may benefit from a new display option that displays just the favicon of sites in tabs. This makes room for lots of tabs in the visual area of the tab bar, and works well with the new two-level tab stacking feature of Vivaldi for Android.

vivaldi tabs favicons only


Vivaldi calculates the width of tabs in the browser dynamically starting with this release. The feature works identically to how desktop browsers change the size of tabs based on the number of open tabs in the browser and the width of the browser window.

Vivaldi 5.0 for Android can shrink tabs up to the favicon if lots of tabs are opened, but will keep the title displayed if only one or a few tabs are open.

Vivaldi users who prefer dark mode for sites can enable the option under Vivaldi Menu > Settings > Theme > Dark mode for Web Pages.

Websites are displayed in dark mode from that moment on, but there is an override in the main menu to disable it for certain sites; this is useful if the site does not display correctly when the mode is enabled.

Another new feature is the option to append text to notes in Vivaldi for Android.

Vivaldi 5.0 for Android tablets and Chromebooks has seen optimizations to take better advantage of the bigger screens that these devices have.

Larger Android devices get access to panels in the new release, which work similarly to how panels on the desktop work. Panels can be toggled on and off, and provide access to features such as the bookmarks, notes or downloads.
 

silversurfer

Level 85
Thread author
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Content Creator
Malware Hunter
Well-known
Aug 17, 2014
10,057

Minor update for Vivaldi Desktop Browser 5.0​

This update includes security improvements from the Chromium project, along with some fixes for themes and other frequently reported issues.

The following improvements were made since the initial 5.0 stable release:
  • [Chromium] Upgraded to 96.0.4664.97
  • [Extensions][Private Windows] “uBlock Origin” won’t work when enabled (VB-84758)
  • [Settings] Password export to CSV saves no logins (VB-79750)
  • [Settings][Linux] Cannot view passwords (VB-84351)
  • [Speed dial] White flash when loading site if home button has been used (VB-79445)
  • [Tabs][Private Windows] Can’t save tabs as sessions (VB-84007)
  • [Themes] Audio icon may have wrong color (VB-84748)
  • [Themes] Image variables aren’t cleared when changing to a theme without background image (VB-84751)
  • [Themes][Settings] rendering glitches (VB-84966)
  • [UI] Improved warning dialog about profile being inside a Git repository (VB-84485)
  • [Upgrade] Migration code missing synchronization between Vivaldi windows: lost themes on upgrade to 5.0 (VB-84750)
 

show-Zi

Level 36
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Jan 28, 2018
2,463
I tried using it for the first time in a while, but I was surprised that it works much smoother than before.
However, when it comes to page translation, I have the impression that it has not yet caught up with chrome browser translation. When translating into Japanese, it is often converted into broken sentences.
 

silversurfer

Level 85
Thread author
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Content Creator
Malware Hunter
Well-known
Aug 17, 2014
10,057
One of the most welcome features on the mobile version of Vivaldi is available on both phones and tablets: tab stacking. On mobile screens, Vivaldi displays stacked tabs as a second row of tabs nested beneath a primary tab. To create a new tab stack, you long-press the New Tab button, which will open that tab in a second row beneath the primary tab. If you switch to another top-level primary tab, the second row of tabs is hidden away, but the tab that contains them gets a kind of hollow, outlined look to let you know that there are multiple tabs nested under it. You can also create tab stacks by dragging and dropping tabs within the tab-switching page.

Stacked tabs in Vivaldi on an Android tablet.
Enlarge / Stacked tabs in Vivaldi on an Android tablet.

Though I expected to like tab stacking on tablets, I also found tab stacks very useful on phone screens. What I'd really like to see is the ability to sync my tab stacks, so I could pull a stack from my desktop browser straight over to my phone. Right now that's not possible. Even without that specific enhancement to Vivaldi's syncing ability, I found tab stacking to be a great mechanism for keeping work and personal tabs separate on mobile. It's also a great way to "hide" a tab, so if your kids pick up your phone this time of year, they don't see the potential gifts you're browsing.
The other big change on mobile is one of the browser's new tablet-specific features. Vivaldi's various panels—which give quick access to bookmarks, history, notes, and downloads—now appear as actual side panels, just like how they are presented in the desktop version. The caveat is that the panels only show up this way if there's room on the screen to display them, which effectively means they only show up on tablet screens. I experimented with a couple of Android phones and two Fire tablets, and I found that the panels showed up on the sides of the main screen on the Fire tablets, while the panels still overlaid the entire screen on phones, even in landscape mode.

Useful panels slide in from the side in Vivaldi 5.
Enlarge / Useful panels slide in from the side in Vivaldi 5.

Having the panels appear as sidebar overlays makes working with them easier and less context-destroying than the old method, which completely hides the browser tab you're currently using. This is especially useful with notes, which you can browse through while the page you're currently looking at is still visible in the background.

Another new feature aimed at both tablet and phone users is a more flexible tab bar. It can now be placed at the top or bottom of the screen. You can also add Close buttons for background tabs and choose to show tabs as favicons only, which gets rid of the page title for a cleaner look. (These last two features are buried in Vivaldi's settings and disabled by default, so turn them on.)

Fans of dark mode might enjoy Vivaldi's newfound ability to set a dark theme for specific pages only, leaving the rest of the open pages with the default light theme. But maybe my favorite feature is that mobile tabs now change width dynamically, just like they would on the desktop browser.
 

silversurfer

Level 85
Thread author
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Content Creator
Malware Hunter
Well-known
Aug 17, 2014
10,057

Minor update (2) for Vivaldi Desktop Browser 5.0​

This update includes security improvements from the Chromium project, along with some fixes for themes.
The following improvements were made since the first 5.0 stable, minor update:
  • [Chromium] Upgraded to 96.0.4664.113: includes fix for CVE-2021-4102
  • [Mail Beta] Import Email from Opera function is disabled (VB-84729)
  • [Reader mode][Themes] View doesn’t use the selected color scheme (VB-84447)
  • [Themes][Linux][Windows] “Fade Foreground Colors” setting has no effect on window colors (VB-84730)
 

silversurfer

Level 85
Thread author
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Content Creator
Malware Hunter
Well-known
Aug 17, 2014
10,057

Minor update (3) for Vivaldi Desktop Browser 5.0​

This update fixes a common crash and includes a couple of themes fixes.
The following improvements were made since the second 5.0 stable, minor update:
  • [Crash][Private Window] While syncing (VB-85274)
  • [Themes][Pop-out video] Icon overlaps with sound icon (VB-85096)
  • [Themes][Tabs] Vertical tab scrollbar invisible when theme is modified (VB-84739)
 

silversurfer

Level 85
Thread author
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Content Creator
Malware Hunter
Well-known
Aug 17, 2014
10,057

Minor update (4) for Vivaldi Desktop Browser 5.0​

This update fixes a crash and updated Chromium with security fixes from upstream.
The following improvements were made since the third 5.0 stable, minor update:
  • [Chromium] Upgraded to 96.0.4664.137
  • [Crash] On huffpost.com and AOL Mail (VB-84978)
  • [Linux][Media][arm32] No proprietary media support for new users (VB-85698)
  • [Mail Beta] Uncaught Error: Filter not found when setting up account (VB-85021)
 

VecchioScarpone

Level 6
Verified
Well-known
Aug 19, 2017
278
Each time I try a new version I uninstall it the same day. It's a browser for power users I suppose, whoever they are, but there is just something about setting up V that makes my skin crawl.
I think I understand the feeling. I did the same with Opera.Took Vivaldi for a ride yesterday, took me a while to set it as I want. Lot of things I'll never use yes.
Honestly I like it more than Opera. Still on it today but it may be a short trip.
 
Last edited:

VecchioScarpone

Level 6
Verified
Well-known
Aug 19, 2017
278
I find the amount of features they have overwhelming.

Me too. Moreover I am really concerned on the browser dependence on Google for its privacy and in general. This is the best I can do as tweaking privacy , screenshot attached.
BTW added uBlock origin and Decentraleyes.

Vivaldi VS privacy settings..png

Its privacy policy leave a lot to be desired...
 
Last edited:

oldschool

Level 81
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Mar 29, 2018
7,044
Me too. Moreover I am really concerned on the browser dependence on Google for its privacy and in general. This is the best I can do as tweaking privacy , screenshot attached.
BTW added uBlock origin and Decentraleyes.

Its privacy policy leave a lot to be desired...

Indeed. Very good video. He's correct about the privacy issues with this browser. Yes, lots of customization which power users will find useful. I'm not one of them.
 

silversurfer

Level 85
Thread author
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Content Creator
Malware Hunter
Well-known
Aug 17, 2014
10,057

A bug in Vivaldi browser disables the forward and back buttons if you open a new window​

The bug exists in Vivaldi 5.0.2497.35, which is the latest version available in the stable channel. What is even more unusual is that these issues had been reported over a month ago, well ahead of the holiday season, but still have not been addressed. Even the most recent Snapshot build, 5.1.2526.3, which had been rolled out two weeks after said user reports, has the same bug in it.
 

silversurfer

Level 85
Thread author
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Content Creator
Malware Hunter
Well-known
Aug 17, 2014
10,057

Minor update (5) for Vivaldi Desktop Browser 5.0​

This update fixes an issue with translate and several related to the Mail Beta.
The following improvements were made since the fourth 5.0 stable, minor update:
  • [Translate] Does not handle script tags with embedded br tags (VB-85721)
  • [Mail Beta] Parentheses ruin search (VB-85391)
  • [Mail Beta] Cannot easily search in a contact (VB-85029)
  • [Mail Beta] Search results lost when going back and forth in history (VB-68499)
  • [Mail Beta] Prevent multiple oAuth pop up dialogs (VB-85682)
 

silversurfer

Level 85
Thread author
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Content Creator
Malware Hunter
Well-known
Aug 17, 2014
10,057

A bug in Vivaldi browser disables the forward and back buttons if you open a new window​


Vivaldi 2549.3 Snapshot fixes the unusable navigation buttons issue and retains option to delete search engines​

Vivaldi browser has been updated to build 2549.3, which is now available in the Snapshot channel. The latest release fixes a number of bugs, including an issue that I wrote about last week.

The browser had a bug that was causing the back, forward, reload, rewind and fast-forward buttons to become greyed out, i.e. unclickable, when a new window was opened. This issue occurred in single monitor and multi-monitor set-ups. The problem has been patched in the Snapshot channel, and the change-log for the update notes tracks the issue with the VB-85667.

The stable channel of the browser, which was updated to build 2497.35 recently, still has the issue, but now that the fix is now available in the Snapshot release, it should make its way over to the regular build soon.
 

silversurfer

Level 85
Thread author
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Content Creator
Malware Hunter
Well-known
Aug 17, 2014
10,057

Minor update (6) for Vivaldi Desktop Browser 5.0​

This update fixes an issue with shortcuts and gestures, and includes security improvements from the Chromium project.

The following improvements were made since the fifth 5.0 stable, minor update:
  • [Chromium] Upgraded to 96.0.4664.175
  • [Settings][Keyboard][Gestures] Restore default shortcut breaks gestures (VB-86029)
 

silversurfer

Level 85
Thread author
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Content Creator
Malware Hunter
Well-known
Aug 17, 2014
10,057

Minor update (7) for Vivaldi Linux Browser 5.0​

This update fixes a couple of issues affecting some Linux users (no update for Windows and macOS).
The following improvements were made since the sixth 5.0 stable, minor update:
  • [Linux][Media][arm] No proprietary media support for new users
  • [Linux] Use newer package signature
 

About us

  • MalwareTips is a community-driven platform providing the latest information and resources on malware and cyber threats. Our team of experienced professionals and passionate volunteers work to keep the internet safe and secure. We provide accurate, up-to-date information and strive to build a strong and supportive community dedicated to cybersecurity.

User Menu

Follow us

Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to know first about the latest cybersecurity incidents and malware threats.

Top