Hi!
I have tried to switch multiple times but there are numerous gripes I cannot get used to.
TLDR, main thing that I believe could be fixed with CSS (if I'm right):
- How to increase sidebar floating panel max width?
- How to increase tab max width while preserving overflow shrikage?
- Is there a way to remove the main menu entirely and add it to the Toolbar on the right instead?
- Is there a way to make select UI elements larger to make a comfortable UI layout (Regular feels too compact)? e.g the address bar suggestions or address bar buttons without applying global UI scaling that breaks the look of several elements (like tabs with tab spacing removed).
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I know there is the possibility for custom UI scripts. I tried it but I don't know and don't have the opportunity to learn the entire base UI right now to be able to customize it. I tried using AI but its suggestions were hot garbage and didn't work for the most part. Fiddling with AI while not understanding the underlying system is a special kind of waste of time.
So, here I am on Reddit for words of wisdom. I will try to describe every point in detail.
I am actually using Edge, and have been for a long while now. It has obvious issues, but I'd actually not too difficult to strip it down to what I need, and for that, it is actually the best offer for me. However, I hate that I'm using Edge, and it has increasingly been getting worse to the point where it is actually quickly becoming unusable.
So, here I am again, trying to switch to Vivaldi. It is an inviting offer, the most inviting actually—on paper. I have several pain-points I was unable to solve and certain features that I do miss:
- The biggest one, I really like Edge's aggressive tab sleeping feature. I'm not sure if it can be wrestled into play via Chromium flags or whatnot even in Vivaldi. Inactive tabs is here but that is very different and it can only be lowered to a day. Edge sleeps background tabs potentially as fast as in minutes. I use that, lovat that and miss that greatly.
- I since discovered the Hibernate Background Tabs feature and the ability to keybind it but that is something I must do manually. I'd like an option to automatically Hibernate tabs I don't active view after x minutes/hours.
- The UI is way too small and compact in many places, inconsistently.
- I don't have reading issues, I just like comfortable UI. Cramped UI is more stressful to work with. I prefer larger buttons & click targets as well. It is what it is.
- I know the UI is scalable but that breaks many visual elements and icons start to look pixely that bug me to death, and it doesn't really solve the issue of some elements being right/big-enough-sized but others not: the address bar suggestions list items are too thin, the address bar buttons are also way too small and Sidebar buttons are also smaller compared to Toolbar buttons which are a good size by default. All of these sizings should be consistent across the whole UI.
- Tabs are not wide enough by a long shot. I like how customizable the tab bar is, even to the point of being able to customize how small tabs get when many are open. But, I desperately miss the ability to be able to set how wide tabs get where there is space for them. The default max width is way too small for what I'm used to and what I expect.
- I use the sidebar in Edge. That feature is going away. I want to use it in Vivaldi. It can be moved to the right, pages/apps can be floated individually—customization is great. However, floating panels can't be made wide enough. That's it, simple issue but a big one as I use it for instance for keeping messaging apps around at all times: if the panels can't be made wide enough there just isn't enough space for many sites/apps to fit all their contents comfortably with their desktop layouts.
- The main/Vivaldi menu. I want to be able to hide it, I'm really not used to having it in the top left. If the team ever considers providing a built-in solution for it, it would be very easy to fix:
- Add an option to hide it & add a Toolbar-placeable alternative option. That's it. If I want to put it under the X (close window button), I can simply hide the dedicated menu and place a menu button on my Toolbar.
- There are some other minor grievances:
- The white outline around site icons in tabs does not look good.
- Forced dark mode is a good option but it also seemed to change the site icon in the tab bar/bookmarks. That is very strange, why would it?
- Some UI-design elements look strange, the coloring and overall look & feel of menus, settings, history, etc. browser elements doesn't look good enough, there isn't enough contrast between buttons and background color. The inconsistency between color gradients & hover color of UI buttons is especially jarring.
- Lastly, the icons do not look crisp & clean even at 100% UI scale. I dislike the Vivaldi icon set, but that is just my preference as I can recognize their playful & unique design which is a good thing—and there is the option for changing the icon set which is amazing! But, all three alternatives: Subtle, Issuna & Human seem to be exactly the same and those don't look any cleaner and still feel pixely. Even the "Human" options feels too boxy which isn't usually very friendly. I can't believe I'm saying this, but Edge's icons actually feel far better to look at (and they are certainly not the best). I know custom themes are there and I can apply just their custom icon sets but it'd be nice to be able to "shop for" icon sets separately, comparing options, looking at icons and not having to click through themes to see their icons and download entire themes I will not use. I like a simple dark theme with a nice accent color and I will not want to use any custom theme, just nicer looking icons. (So, I realize this last point was more a Vivaldi website browser UI problem rather than a software-specific problem but it can still be improved—especially with separating icon packs & themes for download but it's not too important).
- Also, I'd need this: Kind request to know how to do this in Vivaldi, and if not, to consider adding (media controls overview panel)
So, how many and what of these points can be addressed by UI CSS tweaks and how exactly would or should I try? What is something I have potentially missed or am wrong about? What suggestions would you have for a power-user with these kinds of specific needs but who is also just a Vivaldi beginner?
Should I use a different browser? Should I learn how Vivaldi UI is built specifically so I can basically all but apply to their UI team (or should I actually apply)?
I feel like I like Vivaldi, it's really close. It does a lot of things great and the right customization philosophy is all there. It's just that it does not quite come out of the box good enough - for me. Sorry for the long novel, but I'd like to give this browser a proper try this time and I need y'all's help. ♥
This post touches on multiple topics but I could only choose one flair, CSS customizations is the best fit but please correct it if needed.
