Vivaldi offers several options to customize your browsing flow in the Android app. Continue reading to learn about a few of them.
Desktop view
To display a desktop version of the website, instead of the mobile version commonly displayed on smaller screens, open the Vivaldi Menu and tick the box for Desktop Site.
To permanently display desktop versions of all websites:
Go to Vivaldi Menu >Settings > Web pages;
Enable Always Show Desktop Site;
In some cases, like in Vivaldi in Polestar’s infotainment center, it’s best to enable desktop view for websites that, in mobile view, try to open an app to show content (even if the app is not available).
Homepage
To open a website of your choice, when tapping the Home button or opening a new tab:
Go to Vivaldi Menu >Settings > Homepage.
Toggle the setting On.
Select Enter custom web address.
Type or paste the link.
Exit settings.
Home Screen shortcut
Take a look at the Help page about Progressive Web Apps on Android to learn about Progressive Web Apps and Home Screen Shortcuts.
Stay in the browser
If you have the app installed on your phone, links from the same service will often want to open in the app to display the content. For example, YouTube and Google Maps. If you prefer to stay in the Vivaldi browser, you can enable a setting that will prevent the external app from opening. Instead, the link will open in a new browser Tab.
To turn on this option:
Go to Vivaldi Menu >Settings > Web Pages;
Enable Stay in browser.
Audio playback in the background
Normally audio and video playback will stop when you switch tabs or apps. To keep the content playing in the background while browsing in other tabs or using other apps:
Update: The project to remove our unique ID stalled after we encountered unexpected deviations in the number of users counted using other methods. We spent a lot of time researching and understanding the reasons for this. We have concluded that the numbers we get using a unique id are more accurate, so we are sticking with it at the moment. It’s as important not to over-count as it is not to under-count as we develop Vivaldi.
Starting with Vivaldi 2.7, user counting was changed to gradually drop the use of unique IDs.
For now an additional request to our user counting endpoint is made. This request is similar to the old one and includes the unique ID, but contains additional parameters that will be used by the new unique ID-free implementation.
A few versions later, the old user counting request will be removed.
Even later, the unique ID will be eliminated from the new request altogether. We will keep generating it locally to aid with counting on computers with several Vivaldi installations, but it will only be used locally.
The code used to generate the new request is written entirely in C++ and will be published with our source releases, allowing you to check that the code does what we claim it does.
Implementing user counting
We decided to change how we count Vivaldi’s users because some people see the use of a unique ID as a form of tracking and we want to avoid that. When we found a better way to count our users in a way that doesn’t require the unique ID, we decided to implement it.
The many stages of the implementation are required to make sure the new code works as intended and that we can trust the numbers reported by the new code.
Why we count Vivaldi users?
We need to know the number of our users because having more users gives us the ability to develop Vivaldi. This mostly comes down to building partnerships for making revenue and technical partnerships, such as the one with Razer Chroma. The more accurate the numbers, the better deals and support we can get.
We count:
daily users;
weekly users;
monthly users.
We also get information about:
when a new user runs Vivaldi for the first time;
how long the user has had the browser;
the number of inactive days to see returning users;
CPU architecture;
screen resolution;
user agent.
The last three aren’t related to user counting, but the information lets us know what sort of machines we are designing Vivaldi for.
Counting multiple installations
Since it’s possible to have multiple Vivaldi instances on the same system through, for example, Standalone installs, this makes counting more difficult.
When someone installs Vivaldi multiple times on their computer, using separate profiles, we want to count them as one user.
On the other hand, when several people use their own standalone Vivaldi installation (using their own portable drive) on the same computer, on the same Operating System account, we want to count them as separate users.
To be able to distinguish between those cases, we keep one copy of the unique ID as part of the LocalState file and one copy within the OS user profile. If one of the copies is missing, it is set up again using the other available copy. If both copies are present but do not match, we can assume that we are running a standalone installation that was moved to another system (second scenario). In all other cases, we assume the first scenario.
For that purpose, we will keep generating and storing unique IDs after we have stopped sending them. They will only be used to know whether Vivaldi has to cooperate with other installations on the system to make sure to only be counted once.
Only a few are allowed by default, some are blocked outright, and as for the rest, your permission will be asked every time a new site wants access to any of the options listed above.
Changing website permissions globally
To review and update websites permissions for all websites:
Make sure Global Permissions on top of the list is selected.
Use the drop-down menu next to each permission type to update it.
Changing website permissions per website
When a website needs access, for example, to your camera, a notification dialog will be displayed below the right side of the Address Field. Make a decision to either allow or deny the website permission to access your camera. Vivaldi will remember when you deny permission and will block the website from asking you the same question again.
In case the dialog closed before you could decide, click on the permission icon to the right of the Address Bar (the one with the red mark on the image above) to display it again.
To review and update permissions for sites you’ve granted or denied access to:
To view websites somewhere without an internet connection or just to save metered data for more important browsing, download pages beforehand for offline access.
Saving a web page
When you have the page open in the active tab go to the Vivaldi menu > Download page.
In case you want to download a page that is linked to from the page you have open:
If you’ve added the link to your Bookmarks, you can also open it from there. Alternatively, you can add the page to your Reading List.
Downloaded pages have an Offline tag on the Address Bar. Tapping on it will display the download date and whether you’re currently connected to the internet, also an option to visit the online page.
Page capture
Another option to view content anywhere offline, is to take a screenshot of the page. Use Vivaldi’s Screen Capture tool by going to the Vivaldi menu > Capture Page > Capture Full Page to take the screenshot. The whole page will be saved to your files and you can access it from your image gallery.
In this article we’ve put together some guidelines that will help you write a good bug report for Vivaldi Android. A good bug report will help our developers reproduce and fix the bug.
If you can’t find anything about the bug you’ve encountered please file a bug report.
How to report a bug on Android?
Report each bug separately on vivaldi.com/bugreport/. Reports with more than one bug cannot be processed because each bug is allocated a unique bugtracker number.
Share information about the device’s brand, model and Android version where the issue is occurring.
Describe the issue in as much detail as you can.
Add an exact link to a web page where the issue occurs, so it can be tested.
After reporting the issue, you will receive a confirmation email from the bugtracker with the bug number VAB-XXXXX, so make sure you give a valid contact email address.
You can add more information and files (e.g. screenshots) to the report by replying to the bugtracker’s email.
If you have questions about the bug please ask in the Forum first and do not forget to post the VAB-XXXXX bug number. Our helpful forum moderators will be able to help you.
Important! Please do not use the bug report page for support or other questions. These questions can be sent to us from our contact form.
To search in the Android version of Vivaldi, tap either the Search button on the Start Page or tap directly on the Address Bar and start typing the search term.
To search using a pre-installed search engine other than the default, enter the Search Engine Nickname (check the list of available search engines below) followed by a space, and then type the search term. After tapping space the chosen search engine’s logo will appear on the Address Bar.
Changing the Default Search Engine
Vivaldi on Android comes with several search engines. You can choose which one you want to use as the default one.
Tap on the search engine you want to set as the one to be used in Private Tabs.
Exit the setting using the back arrow.
Switch Search Engines
To search using a pre-installed search engine other than the default:
Option 1
Tap on the Address Field or Start Page’s search button to start searching.
Enter the single letter Search Engine Nickname (check the list of available search engines below).
Follow the nickname with a space.
Type the search term.
After tapping space the chosen search engine’s logo will appear on the Address Bar.
If you find yourself switching search engines by accident, for example, because in your language phrases often start with a single letter, you can disable search engine switching when a letter that matches one of the search engines is entered.
To disable Search Engine Nickames:
Go to Vivaldi menu > Settings > Search Engine.
Toggle off Enable Search Engine Nicknames.
Option 2
First, enable the Search Engine Suggestions:
Go to Vivaldi menu > Settings > Search Engine.
Toggle on Show Search Engine Suggestion.
To search:
Tap on the Address Field or Start Page’s search button to start searching.
Tap on the Search Engine’s icon you want to search with.
Available Search Engines
Bing [b]– for searching the web via Microsoft Bing.
You.com – the search engine you control. Available by default in selected countries.
Search Suggestions
To enable/disable search suggestions:
Go to Vivaldi menu > Settings > Search Engine.
Tap on Allow Search Suggestions in Address Field.
Please note that, enabling search suggestions allows your search engine to see what you type even if you don’t perform a search. You can read more about search suggestions on our blog.
When you’ve moved the Address Bar to the bottom, you can also reverse the order of suggestions in the list that appears as you type. That way the most relevant suggestions are at the bottom of the list, closest to the Address Bar.
To enable reverse order for search suggestions:
Go to Vivaldi menu > Settings > Tabs.
Enable Reverse search suggestion order.
Searching from a website
To search for a word or a phrase you found on a website:
Highlight the search term by pressing on the word/phrase.
In the menu that appears, tap on the overflow menu.
Select Web Search.
The Search will be done with your default search engine.
Search Widget
To start a search in Vivaldi from your home screen add Vivaldi’s search widget to it by:
Long pressing on an empty space on the home screen.
Select Widgets.
Find Vivaldi search from the list.
Long press on the widget and drag it to the home screen.
Add custom Search Engines
It’s unfortunately not possible to add custom Search Engines in the Android version of Vivaldi, but you can use Sync to synchronize your Search Engines, including custom ones, with the desktop version of Vivaldi.
Similarly to the desktop browser, your favorite Bookmarks can be displayed on the Start Page as Speed Dials.
Accessing the Start Page
Your Start Page is the default new tab and homepage for the browser and can be accessed by opening a new tab or from any web page by tapping the middle Start Page button on the bottom toolbar. The latter option is not available when the Address Bar has been moved to the bottom.
Reopen Start Page with
Since the Start Page can have many Speed Dial groups plus Top Sites on it, you can decide, which one to show whenever you go to the Start Page.
To choose which group to open the Start Page with:
Go to the Vivaldi menu > Settings > Start Page > Reopen Start Page with.
Choose between:
First group,
Top Sites,
Last Visited Group.
Customizing the Start Page
To customize the Speed Dials on the Start Page, open the Bookmarks Panel and edit your bookmarks there. In the folder editor window, tick the box labeled Speed Dial to display the bookmarks in that folder on your Speed Dial. You can display multiple folders on the Start Page.
To customize your Start Page:
Open a new tab with the Start Page.
Tap on Customize your Start Page near the bottom of the screen.
Changing the size of the Speed Dials (large, medium, small, list).
Updating the background image.
If you enjoy switching things up regularly, keep the Customize Start Page button visible, otherwise feel free to toggle it off. You’ll still be able to access the customization screen from the 3 dot menu in the top right corner of the Start Page or locate the same settings in the Vivaldi menu > Settings > Appearance.
Start Page Wallpaper
To customize the back of the Speed Dials with a custom image or color:
Go to the Vivaldi menu > Settings > Appearance > Start Page Wallpaper.
Choose a preset image or color, or select an image from your device’s gallery by tapping on the first gray square with the + icon.
Speed Dial size
There are 4 Speed Dial layouts available in Vivaldi:
When you want to admire your awesome Start Page wallpaper and rely on other means to open your bookmarks (Bookmarks Panel, Address Field autocomplete), you can hide the Speed Dials altogether.
To hide Speed Dials:
Option 1
Open a new tab with the Start Page.
At the bottom of the page or from the 3 dot menu in the top right corner of Start Page, open Customize Start Page settings.
Store your account login credentials in the browser for faster browsing.
Saving passwords
To save a password:
Log in to the account on the site you want to save the login credentials on.
Immediately after logging in, click Save on the dialogue that appears at the top of the screen.
Tap on Settings > Never, if you don’t want to save any passwords for the site.
To toggle saving passwords on or off, open the Vivaldi menu > Settings > Password Manager and tap on the Save Passwords toggle.
Managing passwords
To view and manage your saved passwords, go to Vivaldi menu > Settings > Password Manager.
By tapping on the saved entry, you’ll see the site link, username and password with an option to copy them or delete the saved entry. To view the password, enter your lock screen PIN/pattern/password/etc.
Below the list of saved passwords is a list of sites that passwords won’t be saved on. To save a password on a site in the Never saved list, first remove it by selecting the entry and tapping on the Delete button and then login on the site again to get a prompt for saving the password.
Updating saved passwords
Passwords cannot be edited in Settings. When you change the password, log in to the account with the new password. The browser will notice the different password and will ask whether you want to update the saved password entry. Tap on Update.
Deleting passwords
To delete a single saved password:
Go to Vivaldi menu > Settings >Password Manager;
Tap on the saved password entry;
Tap on the Delete button in the top right corner of the page.
To delete all passwords, including the Never saved list:
Go to Vivaldi menu > Settings > Privacy > Clear browsing data > Advanced;
Select All time for the time range;
Tick the box for Saved passwords;
Tap Clear data.
Export passwords
Your passwords will be exported and downloaded as a text (CSV) file. They will be visible to anyone and any app with access to the folder in which the file is saved.
View the progress and history of your downloaded files in the Downloads Panel.
Downloads Panel
To view your downloads, tap on the Panels button on the left side of the bottom toolbar and swipe to the fourth panel. Instead of swiping you can also tap the Downloads button in the bottom menu.
Alternatively, select Downloads in the Vivaldi menu.
Searching downloads
To search through your downloads, tap on the Search button in the top right corner and enter your search term.
Vivaldi Menu and tick the box for Desktop Site. 
Home button or opening a new tab:
Search button on the 
back arrow.
overflow menu.
Settings > Never, if you don’t want to save any passwords for the site.
Delete button and then login on the site again to get a prompt for saving the password.
Downloads button in the bottom menu.