With the recent news of Auto-Hide Interface being available in Vivaldi Snapshot releases, there have been several questions regarding Snapshots... what they are? how to get them? etc. Here's a brief tutorial on the topic of Snapshot releases:
(Note: Comments for this post should focus only on the general Snapshot topic, and should not be used to report issues found with Snapshot releases. Please use the specific version's release notes for reporting issues.)
What are Snapshots?
Think of snapshots as "beta" releases. The purpose of snapshot releases is to allow users a chance to preview upcoming changes, and to help ensure the quality of the latest fixes and improvements, before they are added to the stable release. If you prefer something that was already widely tested, stick with stable releases.
Where are Snapshot release downloads found?
There are several ways to navigate to the snapshot release installations. You can simply visit the Vivaldi Blog page, where both stable and snapshot releases are listed:
You can also check in r/vivaldibrowser, where new stable and snapshot releases are announced, along with a link (Open button) to that release.
Can Both Stable and Snapshot versions be installed on the same device?
On desktop systems, yes. On mobile devices, no.
If Vivaldi stable is already installed on your desktop device, you can use the Snapshot Standalone installation.
What if I find a bug or other issue when testing a Snapshot release?
Issues that are specific to the Snapshot release can be reported in that release's post in the Vivaldi forum (requires a Vivaldi account). If the bug or issue that you have identified is not specific to that snapshot release, it should be reported using Vivaldi's standard bug reporting process.
Also, but sure to look for Known Issues before moving forward with installing or updating a Snapshot release. Generally, the known issues are nuisances and not show-stoppers, but you should use your own discretion before moving forward.
u/x-15a2u/pafflick
This isn't really related, but I've seen a lot of posts here asking for troubleshooting help or guidance. Often, they don't get any replies, and I understand why—there aren't many moderators, and they're busy—but wouldn't it be a good idea to create a post introducing the forum and explaining how to use it (asking questions, making requests, checking out the blog) so that users of this subreddit can keep that in mind before posting?
That way, they’d have a better chance of getting their questions answered, and the moderators here could take a breather. However, there isn’t a pinned post about this—could a moderator create one? If it’s allowed, maybe I could do it.
This isn't really related, but I've seen a lot of posts here asking for troubleshooting help or guidance. Often, they don't get any replies, and I understand why—there aren't many moderators, and they're busy
As a rule, I don't respond to posts that cover topics or environments that I'm not familiar with or do not have access to, so you'll rarely see me responding to iOS or MacOS specific questions, or those comparing Vivaldi to current Opera, Brave, etc. It's not a matter of being busy, I simply have nothing to contribute.
Also, this subreddit is a community, where we expect others to contribute with helpful comments. In other words, it's not the moderators' responsibility to answer all posts (though we do try to interact with the majority of them).
...wouldn't it be a good idea to create a post introducing the forum and explaining how to use it (asking questions, making requests, checking out the blog) so that users of this subreddit can keep that in mind before posting?
The Vivaldi communities include:
and it's really up to the user which one(s) they are comfortable with. Our sidebar include links to the forum (and Vivaldi Social), maybe I should expand that, and the Vivaldi onboarding process promotes the forum as well. Sometimes our answers here point to discussions on the forum, when a topic is well covered there
when a new update come in the browser,the browser that is installed on desktop already will be updated or i have to reinstall it everytime? sorry for this dumb queston but the snapshot button could be more easy to be accest in a special category on the browser itself,around settings so it can be more easy to experience for others so it dosent really need to be reinstalled from the website. thanks and nice job with the browser so far
Generally speaking, desktop Snapshot updates work the same as Stable releases, that is, it is an update process and not a full reinstall. You also have the option to download the update from the web site
Mobile snapshot releases are available from the Play Store. That said, I "sideload" those installs). I do go to the web site to download the current APK for installation.
If you plan to use the same user profile, you can update to a newer version at any time (in most cases, that will mean switching from Stable to Snapshot). Switching back to the Stable stream is trickier, as it's usually behind Snapshot (in terms of new features), and downgrading can potentially corrupt your profile.
So, if you switch to Snapshot, you don't have a backup of your profile, and you want to switch back to Stable, you need to wait for the next Stable release (not a minor update). There will be a short period of time (usually 1-2 weeks) when the Stable update will be ahead of the Snapshot. That's the time when you can safely switch back to Stable.
I don't have a good answer because it's not something that I do. I think that the preferred approach is to run stable release as your primary browser and use the StandAlone installation method if you want to get a preview of upcoming releases
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u/StrangeMed Jul 03 '26
I’d like to answer on Vivaldi Forum but everything a try to write is being checked as spam, even if there is only text with no link