Vivaldi 2.0 Browser Gets Syncing and Even More Customization

It has a long way to go to catch up with Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari in terms of user numbers, but Vivaldi is near the head of the pack when it comes to customizability and privacy. Now, Version 2 of the web browser from Opera founder Jon von Tetzchner adds secure syncing, resizable tab tiling, floating web panels, and a whopping 1,500 more new features.

Vivaldi 2.0 also sports an updated, more sophisticated interface design. Like Opera, Vivaldi uses a start page with tiles for your most frequently visited sites. The latest release offers more background choices for this page, as well as a new Welcome Page to take new users through setup and customization.

Though the syncing capability just launched, it can already sync not only bookmarks, but also passwords, some settings, autofill entries, history, extensions, and notes. That's more than Chrome, Firefox, and Edge can boast. One thing you don't get in those browsers is multiple site panels in one window, and now those are resizable in Vivaldi.

Vivaldi is also strong on privacy; it doesn't take money from Google as Mozilla does with Firefox to get the dominant internet search and ad provider into its browser. Instead, Vivaldi defaults to using the privacy-respecting DuckDuckGo web search engine in private browsing windows.

"We do not believe in tracking our users or in data profiling," says von Tetzchner. The browser also offers the privacy-respecting (and nicely designed) European Qwant as a search engine option.

Also new and unique for Vivaldi are a distraction-free reader view, adjustable zoom defaults, resizable tiled tab views, and floating/overlay panels. The browser uses a convenient sidebar for sites that don't require the full window, such as Twitter or a chat site. You can also set it to an adaptive mode that changes interface colors to match the website your visiting.

You can read more about the Vivaldi 2.0 release on the Vivaldi Blog. The browser is available for Windows and macOS. Download it for yourself and start your customized browser experience here.

About Our Expert

Michael Muchmore

Contributor

My Experience

I've been testing PC and mobile software for more than 20 years, focusing on photo and video editing, operating systems, and web browsers. Prior to my current role, I covered software and apps for ExtremeTech and headed up PCMag’s enterprise software team. I’ve attended trade shows for Microsoft, Google, and Apple and written about all of them and their products.

I still get a kick out of seeing what's new in video and photo editing software, and how operating systems change over time. I was privileged to byline the cover story of the last print issue of PC Magazine, the Windows 7 review, and I’ve witnessed every Microsoft misstep and win, up to the latest Windows 11.

I’m an avid bird photographer and traveler—I’ve been to 40 countries, many with great birds! Because I’m also a classical music fan and former performer, I’ve reviewed streaming services that emphasize classical music.

Technology I Use

For everyday work, I use a good-old Dell tower with 16GB of RAM, a 12th-gen Intel Core i7 processor, and an Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti GPU that runs on Windows 11. I pair it with a 4K Lenovo ThinkVision P27u-10 monitor and a Logitech MX Vertical mouse. For offsite work, I use a 2024 Microsoft Surface Laptop with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor. Camera-wise, I moved to mirrorless from a Canon EOS 80D with a Canon 70-300mm IS USM lens. I now have a Canon EOS R7 with a 100-400mm lens, but I miss my DSLR for several reasons.

In order of usage, the software I turn to most frequently is the Edge web browser, Slack, Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft 365, Firefox, Brave, and WhatsApp. I use the Windows Phone link app to see everything on my Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra phone, which has excellent telephoto capability.

For fitness monitoring, I have a Fitbit Charge 6 and use an Anker Smart Scale P1. I’m also a streaming fan, so I subscribe to both Amazon Music Unlimited (especially for its Dolby Atmos content) and Qobuz (for its high-res sound quality and classical catalog). I recently added a Vizio 5.1 Soundbar SE, which sounds surprisingly good given its low price. To holler commands instead of using a remote control, I have the Amazon Fire TV Cube in the living room, which lets me verbally tell the TV what I want to watch. It hooks up to an LG B4 OLED TV. I have a Sonos One speaker in my kitchen that also ties in with Alexa, as does the Echo Dot 2 With Clock in my bedroom. For serious listening, I have B&W 601 speakers plugged into a Conrad-Johnson Sonographe amp and preamp, with a Cambridge Audio AXN10 streamer as source. For reading, I also have a Nook GlowLight 3.

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