10 Life Hacks Every Vivaldi Browser User Should Know
When it comes to browsers, Vivaldi probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind—but that’s not surprising. It’s a Chromium-based browser that focuses on adding tons of features, eliminating the need to install multiple apps to perform various tasks. Vivaldi has been around for over a decade and has become a fairly robust product, though it continues to improve. I’ve been using this browser for a while now, and here are the best Vivaldi life hacks I’ve found in that time.
Use Chrome extensions to enhance privacy in Vivaldi for Android.
Vivaldi for Android , one of the best Android browsers besides Chrome , recently added support for Chrome extensions—though Chrome for Android still doesn’t support extensions. You can use it to enhance your privacy by installing uBlock Origin Lite to block ads and tracking. You should also consider using Decentraleyes to bypass tracking through centralized content delivery networks and SponsorBlock to skip sponsored segments in YouTube videos. All your favorite extensions should work here, and they’re fairly easy to install on Vivaldi for Android. Just tap the puzzle icon in the address bar, and you’ll see a menu that lets you open the Chrome Web Store.
Create Vivaldi-style workspaces to separate work from your personal life.
Workspaces allow you to separate tabs by project, similar to folders for browser tabs. For example, if you have several websites open for work, you can group them in a separate workspace. I created a workspace called “Research” to group all the tabs I use for writing my articles, and I similarly have workspaces for long texts, distractions, and social media. To get started, click the Workspaces button on the tab bar and select “Create Workspace.” Give it a name and begin adding tabs to the workspace. You can right-click any open tab and select “Move” > “Workspace.”
Use the tiled Subscriptions tabs to follow links without leaving the original page.
The “Additional Tabs” feature allows me to drill down into details without losing sight of the original page. I often get lost when clicking different links in articles and websites. Vivaldi’s “Additional Tabs” feature allows me to keep the original page open in split-screen mode while I read contextual links, and quickly return to reading the original page. To use this feature, open any webpage, right-click the link, and select “Open Link in” > “Open Link as Additional Tab.” You can also open any link in split-screen mode by right-clicking the link and selecting “Open Link in” > “Open Link as Additional Tab.”
Use quick commands to find tabs, features, and perform searches.
Vivaldi’s Quick Commands feature is very similar to Spotlight search on Mac. Both allow you to perform calculations, find settings, and run automation commands. In Vivaldi, you can open the Quick Commands pop-up window by pressing F2 or Ctrl-E ( Command-E on Mac). Here, you’ll see a long list of commands: The search field at the top allows you to search for specific commands, but you can start by performing simple math calculations, toggling the status bar, or even running a highly specialized command like “Copy All Links,” which copies the URLs of all open tabs.
Set up command chains to automate repetitive actions.
Vivaldi also supports some automation using command chains. You can find this feature by clicking the Vivaldi button in the upper-left corner of the browser (the exact location may vary depending on your layout) and selecting Settings > Quick Commands . Under “Command Chains,” you’ll see several examples of these automations, and you can click the “+” button to create your own. I like the simple “Switch between fullscreen and reading mode” command chain for quick, distraction-free reading. Once set up, you can run command chains using the “Quick Commands” feature described above. Press F2 and find the name of the command chain.
Customize Vivaldi’s context menu to get rid of unnecessary elements.
Vivaldi also lets you customize most of the browser’s menus, including the context menu (right-click). I never use the Back/Forward buttons in these menus and find some of the other options redundant, so I like to add features I’ll actually use, like “Find in Page.” To do this, go to Vivaldi Preferences > Appearance and scroll down to the “Menu Customization” section. Use the drop-down menu to select “Page,” where you can add commands from the right pane. Right-click any command in the left pane and select “Delete” to remove it. You can also rearrange the items, add a separator, subfolders, and so on. If you accidentally change too much, you can always use the “Restore Default Menu” button on this page to reset your settings.
Use cursor browsing to navigate web pages using your keyboard.
Vivaldi features a “cursor view” mode that displays a blinking cursor on any webpage and allows you to use the arrow keys to scroll through the page, copy text, links, and images. This allows you to use the browser without touching the mouse, similar to how keyboard navigation works in applications like Google Docs or Microsoft Word. You can enable this feature on any Vivaldi page by pressing Shift-F7 .
Create mouse gestures for faster navigation.
Similarly, in Vivaldi, you can create mouse gestures that replace keyboard navigation. Go to Vivaldi Settings > Mouse and find gestures under “Gesture Assignments.” You can click the “+ ” button to create a custom gesture and associate it with a browser command of your choice. To perform a gesture, simply hold down the right mouse button and then move the cursor in the preset pattern.
Use these Vivaldi settings to extend your laptop’s battery life.
Vivaldi allows you to extend battery life using power saving and memory saving features. Go to Vivaldi Settings > Performance to view available options. Under “Power Saving,” you can enable the “Turn on when battery level is 20% or lower” option . I also recommend using the Balanced power saving feature under “Memory Saver,” which frees up RAM by unloading inactive tabs. This prevents browser slowdowns and, as a result, improves battery life.
Use the Periodic Refresh feature to automatically refresh your social media feed.
If you constantly refresh news sites or social media feeds, you can automate this process with Vivaldi. Simply right-click any open tab, select “Periodic Refresh,” and specify the time interval. The browser allows you to refresh the page once every minute, every two minutes, or up to once every 90 minutes.