What you need to know
- Vivaldi for Android gets new features for its built-in tracking protection tool.
- Vivaldi 5.4 browser can now showcase the total number of ads and trackers that are being blocked.
- The new version also has a couple of UI changes and enhancements to browser menus.
Vivaldi has announced a new version of its Android browser, which should help give users a bit more peace of mind while they browse. Vivaldi 5.4 includes a new tally for blocked ads and trackers and additional features like a new 'close-all' tabs option and a revamped menu.
Vivaldi says in the announcement blog post that its Tracker and Ad Blocker dialog is "much improved." It now allows users to track the number of blocked ads and trackers during their browsing session, adding another layer of protection to its already privacy-focused browser.
The Tracking Protection tool is customizable with options enabling users to either totally block ads and trackers or just the trackers (and not the ads). However, it should be noted that the 'No blocking' option is set as the default.
Vivaldi also suggests that some of the users might not be inclined to notice these numbers; however, the ability to go through the statistics of what's happening around their browser history could be a significant insight for those interested. And it's not just available for Android; it is also coming to the desktop browser.
The desktop and Android versions of the latest Vivaldi browser now get a new option for its Tabs bar. The browser now allows you to close all other tabs except the one you're working on.
The new menu can be accessed through Tabs Switcher and Tabs menu, similar to the desktop version. This is a convenient feature for people who often work on multiple tabs, and can quickly clean up extra tabs if you no longer need them open. Instead of searching and closing such tabs individually, the new feature allows users to close them with a single tap.
Lastly, Vivaldi is revamping its menu to make it easier to find certain browser functions, such as bookmarking and accessing Panels.
Vivaldi is often regarded as one of the best Chrome alternatives, particularly on desktop, mainly because of its extra level of customizability compared to Google Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers. With the new quality of life enhancements, it looks like Vivaldi is aiming to clean things up a bit while giving users easy access to the functions they care about most.
