Vivaldi tests user accounts in the browser
The next stable version of the Vivaldi web browser, created by Vivaldi Technologies AS, may feature user account management and guest mode support.
Vivaldi Technologies releases snapshots of upcoming browser version regularly. New features land in snapshots builds of the web browser before they appear in Stable versions of the web browser.
One of the recent snapshots of Vivaldi features support for user accounts. The feature works similarly to how Google handles the feature; this should not come as a surprise considering that the two browsers have the same codebase.
Interested Internet users can download the latest snapshot from the Vivaldi blog.
Vivaldi user accounts
A new icon is placed next to the address and search bar in the interface. The account icon displays the active account on activation and additional option.
The icon reflects the current user as you may select a custom icon for each consecutive user that you add to the browser. It is currently not possible to change the icon for the default user or any other user that you have created.
Pick a name for the person, an icon from the list of available icons, and select whether to add a shortcut for that user to the desktop.
The new user account is opened directly in a new browser window. A click on the icon displays all available accounts, an option to exit a session of a user, and another option to open a guest window.
Guest windows are created in anonymous sessions; means, user data such as bookmarks, open tabs, or the browsing history, are not carried over from another account. A guest window always starts as a fresh session that is very similar to a first run session of the browser. Certain activity, e.g. the saving of bookmarks, is disabled during guest sessions.
You may delete accounts again in Vivaldi by opening the management interface (by selecting manage people from the menu).
The only options right now are to open an account or to remove one. Options to change user icons or make other changes are missing currently.
Google Chrome offers nothing more than that. It is unclear if additional functionality will be added to Vivaldi's implementation or if the browser stays on the same level as Chrome in that regard.
Closing Words
User account support is certainly a useful feature. You may use it to run different profiles for different tasks to separate them from each other, e.g. shopping, banking, research, entertainment, and social media.
The guest account could be useful in situations where someone else wants to use the browser quickly, for presentation purposes, or any other scenario where you may prefer to use a blank browser profile instead of your actual profile.
Now You: Do you use multiple browser profiles?
Once in a while I use Vivaldi, but it is not the most reliable browser. It likes to crash. When looking into GeekUninstaller, Vivaldi showed as 975 MB in size. Is this normal or is this browser so bloated ? Any ideas ?
Vivaldi is built on top of an already heavy browser as an app.
They would have to remake their implementation from scratch in order to make it reliable and less bloated.
I don’t like Opera for various reasons, but Opera is a great example on how Chromium should be forked. Opera’s fork looks “professional”. I think Microsoft’s fork is going to be “professional” too.
Vivaldi has some die hard users, there are many reasons why Vivaldi is beloved by a specific group of people, but it’s not popular.
The latest market data show it’s still not even in top 10. The latest data are posted in various sites like softpedia.
Chrome 66.89%, Firefox 9.39%, IE11 6.69%, Edge 4.79%, Safari 3.56%, Opera 1.63%, QQ 1.60%, Sogou 1.49%, Yandex 0.83%, IE9 0.63%
Thanks. I didn’t know that.
Firefox now is lower than IE? Not too surprising..
That ‘bloat’ would be the user data very probably, since the browser by default is installed into your AppData folder. So no, that wouldn’t be the size of the actual program.
“Do you use multiple browser profiles?”
I don’t. To be honest, I don’t really understand the utility of them, although plenty of people seem to like them so they must have some value.
I do, 4 profiles on FF, main, streaming, easy and test (extensions, tweak, userChrome.css), sometimes more to test beta or nightly. Each one with different setup & dedicated extensions of course. 2 profiles with Brave browser, main & streaming.
Are those profiles can be accessed within one window or you can set certain sites to be opened with certain profile? If not it’s really hassle to open the websites.. You need to change the profile and restart browser?
You can use ‘Open With’ addon on the main profile and set for each new profiles:
-P “Profile” -no-remote
I don’t know if it is possible with the new web extension; there is “External Application Button” that maybe could be a good alternative. Ok, you can’t do it in the same window, but you don’t need to restart the main browser.
Another suggestions are welcome.
The good thing now is that we can have several profiles open at the same time. So it’s like using several windows, and each window has a specific use with its own configuration.
@pat: I’m genuinely curious — what benefit do you get from using multiple profiles?
I was not exaggerating when I said that I don’t understand the utility of them (to clarify — I understand what they do), and I want to know what I’m missing…
John Fenderson: some people keep a work profile and a home one, moreover the “guest profile” when any friend of you want to use your pc.
Vivaldi might end by getting right something that Firefox never achieved, with its horrible profile “management”. Of course it’s very useful to be able to switch between user profiles.
Just focus on performance/bugs, for now, Vivaldi, please.
Agreed. I have encountered a bug in the current stable version where when you go to your home page, the first speed dial is highlighted. It’s a minor bug, but annoying and has persisted through a couple of minor updates Vivaldi has pushed out.
Performance has gotten better with 2.0, but still is behind Chrome and Opera. So is resource consumption, which remains quite high.
Do I use multiple browser profiles?
Nope, although perhaps I should..
Right now I use Opera, Firefox, Vivaldi, and Basilisk, for different uses.
Of late I’m spending more time with Vivaldi. I’m liking it a lot, where before I was mostly using Opera.
Too bad that the profile button cant be deleted