Vivaldi 8.3 is available today for Android and iOS, bringing a redesigned Ad and Tracker Blocker and, according to Vivaldi, page loading that is up to 12 times faster on iOS when blocking is enabled. Android users gain ways to direct links into Tab Stacks and switch between tabs playing audio through their phone’s media controls. Vivaldi is also releasing version 8.3 for Desktop today with the blocker redesign.
The mobile blocker offers four preset levels, with users able to set a browser-wide preference during setup or through settings. Light targets most known trackers plus some advertising, while Aggressive targets almost all trackers and ads; Off disables blocking altogether. The stronger choices carry a tradeoff: Vivaldi warns that both Strong and Aggressive can cause websites to malfunction.
Users can override their default for individual websites through the shield button beside the address, and the browser saves those choices for subsequent visits. Custom levels let users select the blocklists they want, with iOS accepting lists from a URL or file and Android accepting them through a URL. Vivaldi says it rebuilt the blocker to process larger filter lists more efficiently and revised its interface and labels.
On iOS, Vivaldi also claims the performance work reduces battery consumption during browsing. New tab placement is now configurable, letting users put a tab beside the active or related tab, send it to the end, or group it with a related tab in a stack. Those placement controls bring iOS a choice already offered on Android and desktop.
Android users can press and hold a webpage link to select the Tab Stack that receives it. Each tab playing audio now appears among the phone’s media controls, allowing listeners to change sources without searching through the browser. Selecting the current audio source takes the user directly to that tab in Vivaldi.
Android also gains Open in app, a main-menu option that sends the current page to a corresponding installed app for that occasion while preserving the browser tab. A separate setting lets users keep links opening within Vivaldi. The mobile release also adds Copy Sanitized Link, which strips known tracking parameters before copying an address and can be reached through the address bar’s long-press options or the sharing menu.
