The long-awaited iOS and iPadOS versions of the Vivaldi browser have arrived in the App Store.
Vivaldi has long talked about creating an Apple-friendly version of its browser, which was first launched on the desktop back in 2015. However, the company was reluctant to base a browser on Apple’s WebKit browser engine, a requirement for any iPhone/iPad web browser (although not for much longer). The company has finally relented, which will come as a relief to Vivaldi users with Apple mobile devices.
The biggest benefit for Vivaldi desktop users is that all of your Vivaldi browser data can be synchronized with the iPhone/iPad version, including bookmarks, browser history, passwords and payment methods.
Not all of the Vivaldi desktop features make it to the mobile version, but the built-in notes facility and reading lists do make the cut. Data for both of these can also be synchronized across devices.
Desktop-like Browsing
In terms of design, Vivaldi adopts a style similar to its desktop browser. Browser tabs run along the top of the screen, although the mobile version doesn’t get many of the advanced tab handling features that desktop users will be accustomed to, such as tab stacks or workspaces.
The browser design really takes advantage of the extra screen space afforded by the iPad, with panels for history, bookmarks, notes etc emerging from the left-hand side of the screen, just as they do on the desktop.
The settings include options to load desktop or mobile versions of sites, which is handy when a site hides a particularly useful part of its interface when it detects it’s being accessed from a mobile device.
Ad-blocking, tracker-blocking and private tabs are also available for those who want them.
The End Of The Apple Browser Lock-In
The release of the iOS/iPadOS versions of Vivaldi comes just months before the implementation of Europe’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which will give alternative browsers much more freedom.
The DMA will prevent vendors such as Apple from forcing browser makers to use their own browser engines, something Vivaldi CEO Jon von Tetzchner has long protested against.
So, although this early version of Vivaldi is still forced to use Apple’s WebKit, it’s entirely likely that Vivaldi will move to a Chromium-based engine when the DMA takes effect, saving on the development effort of supporting two different browser engines.
Vivaldi is available to download now from the App Store.
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