How do you switch to the Vivaldi browser?
Move from Chrome or Firefox to Vivaldi and set up tab stacks, notes and the built-in VPN the way you work.
Short answer
Download the installer from vivaldi.com and import bookmarks and passwords from Chrome or Firefox on first launch. Then position the tab bar under Settings > Tabs, group pages with Tab Stacks, and open Notes and the Feed Reader in the side panel. Your existing extensions install straight from the Chrome Web Store.
What you need
Step by step
Download and install Vivaldi
Go to vivaldi.com and download the installer for your operating system. During setup, leave the "Make Vivaldi my default browser" box unchecked for now and give it a few days before deciding. Because Vivaldi is Chromium based, the sites and extensions you already use keep working.
Import your data
The welcome screen on first launch offers to bring over bookmarks, passwords and history. If you skip it, use File > Import Bookmarks and Settings and pick Chrome, Firefox or Edge. Passwords only transfer if the source browser is fully closed.
Set up the tab bar
Open Settings > Tabs and move the tab bar to the top, bottom, left or right. If you keep dozens of tabs open, a left or right position keeps titles readable. The same screen holds tab thumbnails and the option to hide the bar entirely.
Create Tab Stacks and Workspaces
Drag related tabs on top of each other to build a Tab Stack; hovering over it previews the pages inside. For separate contexts like work, school and personal, open the Workspaces menu at the left end of the tab bar and add a new space. Right-click tabs you will not touch for a while and choose Hibernate Tab to cut RAM use.
Turn on the side panel tools
Use the panel buttons along the left edge to open Notes, where you can write in markdown and attach screenshots and links. Add the RSS addresses of sites you follow in the Feed Reader. The Mail and Calendar panels do not need a new account; connect your existing Google or Apple one.
Enable keyboard and mouse shortcuts
Open Quick Commands with F2 on Windows or Cmd + E on macOS to open tabs, search history and jump to an address without touching the mouse. Under Settings > Mouse, enable Mouse Gestures so holding the right button closes a tab or reloads a page. Command Chains in Settings > Keyboard fire several actions from one shortcut.
Configure privacy and the VPN
Under Settings > Privacy and Security, switch on the Tracker and Ad Blocker; the default level suits most sites. The shield icon in the address bar lets you add per-site exceptions. To try the built-in Proton VPN, click the VPN icon next to the address bar, keeping in mind that the free tier limits server choice.
Make it default and set up Sync
Once a few days of use have convinced you, click Make Default Browser under Settings > General. Then create a Vivaldi account in Settings > Sync to keep bookmarks, passwords and notes in step with Vivaldi on your phone. Sync is end-to-end encrypted, so store the encryption key somewhere safe.
Tips
Watch out
The source browser must be completely closed for passwords to transfer, since a half-finished import leaves gaps in your saved logins. Keep your old browser installed for at least a month before removing it. And if you lose the Sync encryption key, Vivaldi cannot reset it and the data in the cloud becomes permanently unreadable.
Frequently asked questions
+Is Vivaldi paid software?
No, Vivaldi is free. The built-in Proton VPN also has a usable free tier, with limits only on server choice and speed.
+Do my Chrome extensions work in Vivaldi?
Yes. Vivaldi is built on Chromium, so you can visit the Chrome Web Store and install extensions directly.
+Do banking and government sites cause problems in Vivaldi?
Most open fine because the engine is the same as Chrome. A few banks check the browser name and may show a warning, and finishing that one transaction in Chrome or Edge is the quickest fix.
+Does Vivaldi slow the computer down?
Startup can take slightly longer because of the feature set. Tab hibernation and closing panels you do not use keep memory use close to Chrome's.
+Can I use it on my phone?
Yes, there are Vivaldi apps for Android and iOS. Signing in with the same Vivaldi account syncs bookmarks, passwords and notes across devices.
Sources and verification
Last verified: 12 Eylül 2026. tell us. Menu names reflect the English interface; Turkish builds use translated equivalents such as Sekmeler for Tabs.
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