14 DAY TRIAL // Vivaldi Technologies have launched today Vivaldi 2.2, the second incremental update to the 2.x series of the Chromium-based web browser dedicated to power users and computer enthusiasts.
Launching only one and a half months after Vivaldi 2.1, which brought support for the AV1 next-generation video codec and a smarter Quick Commands feature, today's Vivaldi 2.2 update introduces even more goodies to make you consider Vivaldi as your default web browser, introducing Picture-in-Picture (PiP), more customizable toolbars, and smarter tab management.
"Customizing a browser as per your needs is not only a thing for pros and geeks. The key is to create something that works for you," says Vivaldi CEO Jon von Tetzchner. "Features are what draw people to Vivaldi and details are what keep them there. That’s why we are always striving to fit every use case and giving our users different ways to browse."
What's new in Vivaldi 2.2
Following in the footsteps of the Google Chrome web browser, Vivaldi 2.2 introduces Picture-in-Picture (PiP) support, allowing users to watch HTML5 videos in a floating window while doing something else on their personal computers. Picture-in-Picture can be enabled by right-clicking on a video or with a double right-click on specific video hosting sites like YouTube.
Talking about a better video streaming experience, Vivaldi 2.2 improves Netflix support for Linux users, who can now watch their favorite movies and TV shows from premium video hosting websites like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video in Vivaldi without any hustle as the web browser now automatically fetches the required encrypted media extensions known as Widevine.
The tab browsing experience in Vivaldi got a boost with today's update two new functions, namely the ability to save select tabs as a session, which you can re-open for later use, through a new "Save Selected Tabs as Session" context menu option, and quicker tab-switching functionality thanks to tab numbering in the Window menu, accessible with Alt+w followed by the tab's number.
With Quick Commands, Vivaldi users will now be able to navigate website better by accessing a list of shortcuts available for the respective site through a new "Show Webpage Access Key Shortcuts" option. You can also now travel back in your browsing history with a middle-click on the address bar, search the Web directly from the Start Page, and view a list of closed tabs with Quick Commands' new "Show Closed Tabs" option.
Last but not least, Vivaldi 2.2 makes toolbar customization more powerful by allowing users to strip it by removing all the buttons they don't use via a new "Customize" right-click context menu option on the respective buttons. It's also now possible to mute all tabs but the current one. Under the hood, Vivaldi 2.2 is based on Chromium 71.0.3578.85.
As usual, you can download Vivaldi 2.2 for Linux, macOS, and Windows right now through our web portal or update your existing installations by accessing the "Check for Updates" option in the Vivaldi Menu. Meanwhile, you can check out the screenshots gallery below to see the new features in action.
