The Vivaldi browser is a new web browser that has gotten a lot of good press recently due to its extensive customisation options for power users. Developed by the ex-CEO of Opera, Jon von Tetzchner, the browser attempts to bring back the advanced features that were removed from the Opera browser after the Norwegian company decided to adopt Webkit and Chromium technologies.
We have previously reviewed Vivaldi, so in this article we will explore some useful Vivaldi browser tips for you to get the most out of the web browser.
1. Use Quick Commands
Vivaldi has this awesome search feature that allows you to search for anything in your open tabs, bookmarks, settings and history by simply pressing the F2 key. The Quick Commands pop-up will also show you handy keyboard shortcuts for some commonly used settings.
2. Stack Your Tabs
For users who tend to open several tabs in the browser, Vivaldi provides a way to group those tabs so that they can be managed more effectively. All you need to do is drag one tab over another one until the opacity of the other one is dimmed a little, then let go, and you’ll have a nice tab stack.
To ungroup the tabs simply right-click the tab stack and select “Ungroup Tab Stack.” You can stack as many tabs as you want.
3. Use Web Panels
Web Panels allow you to add webpages to the sidebar so that you can always access them no matter the tab you’re currently viewing. This is very useful for adding frequently visited pages such as social media feeds, YouTube and the like.
By default, websites you add to the sidebar panel will load their mobile version, but you can open the desktop version by right-clicking the icon and selecting “Show Desktop Version.”
4. Tile Your Tabs
Tab tiling is another fantastic feature that is useful for viewing two or more webpages at once. To do this you need to select a few tabs by holding down the “Ctrl” key and tapping the tabs in question. Then select a suitable tile from the status bar at the bottom of your web browser.
5. Save Open Tabs as a Session
Vivaldi also allows you to save your open tabs as a session and reopen that session later whenever you need to. To save a session click the Vivaldi logo and navigate to “File -> Save Open Tabs as Session.” Give the session a name, and hit the Save button. To open saved sessions navigate to “File -> Open Saved Session,” and select the appropriate session name.
6. Customise the user interface
Vivaldi provides a plethora of options to customise the appearance of your web browser. For example, you can change the colour of the interface to match the colour scheme of the website you are currently viewing by ticking “Use Page Theme Color in User Interface” in the appearance settings. You can also decide to hide the bottom status bar or switch between light and dark themes.
There are several more options here that you can tweak to your taste, so feel free to explore! Let us know your thoughts and experiences with Vivaldi in the comments section below.
Ayo Isaiah is a freelance writer from Lagos who loves everything technology with a particular interest in open-source software. Follow him on Twitter.
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