The niche web browser, Vivaldi, has been bumped to version 2.6 today. The main new features in the update include an abusive ads blocker, more personalisation options with user profiles, various tweaks to improve browsing, and enhanced performance when dealing with lots of tabs.
The most interesting feature in this update is the abusive ads blocker. Most people install ad blockers after encountering a bad experience with them online, in order to help users, Vivaldi now comes with a blocklist of abusive ads enabled out of the box. The firm is delivering blocklist updates to users’ browsers by connecting to end-to-end encrypted servers. Vivaldi boss, Jon von Tetzchner, said “The way that we’ve implemented this functionality is an interesting step in the direction of relying less on third-party services.”
Aside from the abusive ads blocker, users now have better customizability options with regard to user profiles. With this new update, you’ll be able to create and delete profiles from the profile pop-up in the toolbar and edit your image from a selection of new icons. Some smaller tweaks to the browser also include filtering saved passwords so they’re easier to find, the Windows Panel keeps a count of the number of unread tabs, if you use Find in Page and highlight a link you can hit Ctrl + Enter and it’ll open, and there’s now support for Razer headphones.
Lastly, if you’re a power user, this update brings better performance for tab management. Describing the improvements, Tetzchner says “if you tile tabs into split-screen views, or often move tabs to new windows. Opening, closing, and resizing of Panels in the sidebar is also much snappier.”
You can download Vivaldi right now from the official website or if you have Vivaldi already installed just keep a look out for the incoming update.