For the last 3 years, everyone concerned about their privacy online has had a few options to choose from when it comes to web browsers thanks to the addition to of the Vivaldi browser back in 2016 (it had been announced a year earlier) to the same fold that includes notables like Mozilla’s Firefox.
The Vivaldi browser has been available for use by desktop users on all the major desktop platforms: Windows, Mac and Linux. However, given that most people browse the web from the comfort of their handhelds, the browser’s absence from the mobile space has seriously hurt its recognition as well as growth.
That is changing, however, with the release of its first mobile browser on Android. The browser, though in beta, is already available for download and installation via the Google Play Store (see link below).
What should endear you to Vivaldi? Well, if this statement from its team doesn’t inspire any confidence then we are not sure what will: “Unlike Google, our business model is not about collecting massive user data and monetizing. We do not collect usage data. We only try to have a general overview of how many users we have, what OS they run and where in the world they are, on aggregate.”
While there is no shortage of privacy-focused mobile browsers on the Android platform (Firefox Focus does such a stellar job), Vivaldi not only promises better handling of user data, it also lets users customize it to their tastes.
On the desktop, Vivaldi browser users have been able to pick background colours, something that the mobile browser keeps by letting users choose between dark (hello, Android 10 users) and light themes.
Other features like customizable Speed Dials (something Opera Mini and Opera browser users should be quite at home with as well), the ability to change search engines on the fly, clone pages instead of copy-pasting links and syncing with the desktop browser are also available.
A built-in screenshotting tool lets users capture full web pages instead of just the visible area or having to rely on specific phone built-in features to take scrolling screenshots to cover whole pages.
An included Reader View feature, like the one found on Samsung’s own mobile browser, lets users remove any clutter from web pages for a truly immersive reading experience.
There are swipe gestures for easy navigation as well as built-in note-taking. Heck, just like Firefox Focus, the browser will delete any cookies and tracking information gathered as soon as one closes their Private Tab.
You know what? It’s actually much better if you try out the browser by yourself.
