A new version of the Vivaldi web browser has been released today bringing with it new ways to manage tabs, media playback improvements and easy URL sharing with QR codes. The release of Vivaldi 3.5 on desktop comes several days after the firm launched Vivaldi on Android 3.5 which came with better privacy protections.
In Vivaldi 3.5, users now have more options regarding tab management. With this update, you’ll have the option in the settings to make new tabs open in the background so you’re not taken from your current tab when clicking a link. The update also lets you clone a tab in the background so you"re not interrupted. Tab Stacks have also been improved and now show page titles, domains, and a thumbnail to help you find what you need, you can also control the volume of each tab in a Tab Stack.
Another noteworthy item is the improvements to media playback. According to the firm, some users have had issues while trying to play content on premium streaming sites like Amazon Prime Video, Spotify, Peacock TV, and others. To correct these issues, Vivaldi has added Widevine certificate keys so that content can begin playing. The company does note, however, that to play content on Amazon Prime Video, you need to click on the lock in the Address Bar, go to Site Settings and Clear Data, you’ll then need to log in again.
The final big change to this update is the built-in QR code generator. This lets you easily share URLs to other devices using a QR code. This is convenient if you want to share a link to a device that is not linked up to your Vivaldi account, such as a friend’s phone. If you want to use this feature, you need to go to Settings > Address Bar > Address Field Options > QR Code Generator and enable it.
If you’re not yet using Vivaldi, you can download the latest version now. If you already have Vivaldi installed it should automatically update in its own time.