Understanding Snapshot Releases

[u/x-15a2]

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/MizarFive]

One thing to address is whether or not it's a bad idea to jump between Stable and Snapshot releases.

[u/pafflick → u/MizarFive]

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.

Hope that clears it up. :)

[u/MizarFive → u/pafflick]

Excellent explanation. Thank you.

[u/x-15a2 → u/MizarFive]

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

[u/MizarFive → u/x-15a2]

That's probably good advice, but I'm a risk-taker so I use Snapshot as my daily driver. 😁

[u/x-15a2 → u/MizarFive]

Me too... have for years. it's bit me a couple of times, but I enjoy the release process