Brace yourself: The way you get around the web on Android is about to get a whole lot better. This week, the excellent Vivaldi Android browser is rolling out an update that adds in support for the entire collection of Chrome Web Store browser extensions. That means you can enhance and adjust your mobile web experience with all sorts of interesting — and potentially shape-shifting — new improvements. Vivaldi, if you aren’t familiar, is a browser based on the same Chromium foundation that powers Google’s standard Chrome browser, but it has a ton of extra features and options that make for an even more personalized and productive experience. I started using it on all of my devices earlier this year and haven’t looked back since. Now, with complete Chrome extension support added into the mix on Android, the advantage is growing even greater. I’ll be honest, though: When I first saw that Vivaldi was adding in Chrome extension support for Android, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. Most of the extensions I use in my desktop browser just wouldn’t make sense on the mobile front and wouldn’t add much of meaningful value in that environment. But then I put on my thinking cap. I did some deep digging and careful considering. And I found some Chrome extensions that actually work incredibly well in the Android arena and add a lot of interesting value into the mobile web adventure. This is the first of a two-part collection. Today, we’ll look at five Chrome extensions that you can add into Vivaldi to save yourself steps and bring a welcome efficiency boost to your Android web work. Later this week, we’ll round out the list with another set of extensions that’ll improve the internet itself in some truly intriguing ways. Ready to reinvent how you experience the web on your phone? [Get fresh Android tips in your inbox with my free Android Intelligence newsletter — one useful new thing to try every Friday!] A quick primer on Android Chrome extension installation Real quick, before we get into the good stuff: When you’re ready to try out an extension, you’ll need to have the latest version of the Vivaldi Android app on your device (obviously, right?) — then either tap the puzzle-shaped extensions icon in the toolbar at the top of the screen, if you see it, or tap the “V”-shaped main menu icon in the upper-right corner and select “Extensions” from there. Either way you go, you’ll see an option to “Discover more extensions.” That’ll take you to the Chrome Web Store, where you can search or browse through all the available extensions and install anything with a couple quick taps. I’ll also provide direct links to each extension I’m recommending below, so you can tap it to open it in Vivaldi on your phone and then install it directly from there. Note, too, that that same Vivaldi Extensions menu is where you can access and manage any installed extensions moving forward. You’ll see every extension you’ve installed there, and you can deactivate or uninstall anything as well as opt to have its icon pinned into your browser toolbar for easy ongoing access. Chrome Android extension #1: The cookie request crumbler Our first Android Chrome extension worth considering is one that you won’t ever open or actively think about once you install it and set it up. It’s a tool that works silently in the background to automatically handle those irksome cookie preference prompts that pop up around the web — so they’ll always get answered in the way you prefer, but you’ll never actually have to see or deal with ’em (and have ’em blocking half your view, in a mobile web scenario!) again. It’s called Consent-o-Matic, and the way it works is simple: You install it, open its options page once to tell it which cookies you do and don’t want to allow around the web — and that’s pretty much it. From there on out, it’ll just click on all those prompts that pop up for you, based on your preferences, and they won’t interfere with your work or irritate you anymore. Consent-o-Matic remembers your cookie preferences and then applies them for you automatically all over the web. JR Raphael, Foundry One option to look at while you’re in that initial setup area is in the “Display” tab at the top of the screen. By default, Consent-O-Matic will show any pop-ups it’s handling in a small overlay in the corner of the screen — but you can eliminate that entirely and make the process completely out of sight and invisible, if you want. You can make Consent-o-Matic completely invisible so you never so much as see another cookie prompt again. JR Raphael, Foundry Yes, please — and thank you. Chrome Android extension #2: 404 no more Next is another quietly useful addition, and that’s the official Chrome extension for the Wayback Machine at the Internet Archive. With the Wayback Machine extension active in your Android web browser, anytime you land on a page that for whatever reason isn’t online anymore or just isn’t available at that particular moment, you’ll see an offer to go to the page’s most recent cached version. You can also call the extension up on demand to search for older saved versions of any pages by either pinning its icon to your Vivaldi toolbar or long-pressing a link within any page you’re viewing to reveal its menu of options. The Wayback Machine Chrome extension integrates seamlessly into Vivaldi’s long-press link menu. JR Raphael, Foundry Chrome Android extension #3: A background open shortcut I don’t know about you, but when I’m wading my way around the web, I find myself opening links a lot — often with the intent to look at ’em later. Typically, that requires long-pressing on the link and then finding the option to open it in a background tab. But with a handy extension called DoubleClicker, that same action can be easier than ever. Install DoubleClicker into your Android Vivaldi browser, and that’s it: From that moment forward, you can simply double-tap your finger on any link within any page, and it’ll open instantly as a background tab — waiting and ready for when you want it and without any waiting, poking around, or other interruptions to your workflow. This might just be my favorite addition of all. Chrome Android extension #4: Hands-free scrolling The next time you’re reading something on your phone, keep a little somethin’ called Auto Scroll Extension in mind. As its name suggests, the extension lets you set any speed you like and then simply tap its icon (which works best if you pin it to your toolbar) to automatically scroll the page for you — so you can keep reading without having to do a thing. Look, ma: No hands! Auto Scroll in action in Vivaldi on Android. JR Raphael, Foundry Chrome Android extension #5: Easier password access Last but not least for this list is an addition that seems strange on the surface — but hear me out: If you’re using an Android password manager other than the Google Password Manager — like 1Password or Bitwarden — try installing its extension into Vivaldi on your phone. Yes, it’s redundant with having the standalone app installed and set as your system-wide password management service. But it often ends up being faster and easier to have a sign-in handled directly within the browser instead of having to rely on the system-level integration. And having the browser-based option present doesn’t prevent you from using the other route, either. You’ve just got options, and you can pick whichever feels fastest and easiest to you at any given moment. Try it out for yourself and see whatcha think. And stay tuned for the second set of worthwhile Android Chrome extensions soon! Your next mission: Come check out my free Android Intelligence newsletter to get something new and useful in your inbox every Friday — and get my awesome Android Notification Power-Pack today.
Brace yourself: The way you get around the web on Android is about to get a whole lot better. This week, the excellent Vivaldi Android browser is rolling out an update that adds in support for the entire collection of Chrome Web Store browser extensions. That means you can enhance and adjust your mobile web experience with all sorts of interesting — and potentially shape-shifting — new improvements. Vivaldi, if you aren’t familiar, is a browser based on the same Chromium foundation that powers Google’s standard Chrome browser, but it has a ton of extra features and options that make for an even more personalized and productive experience. I started using it on all of my devices earlier this year and haven’t looked back since. Now, with complete Chrome extension support added into the mix on Android, the advantage is growing even greater. I’ll be honest, though: When I first saw that Vivaldi was adding in Chrome extension support for Android, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. Most of the extensions I use in my desktop browser just wouldn’t make sense on the mobile front and wouldn’t add much of meaningful value in that environment. But then I put on my thinking cap. I did some deep digging and careful considering. And I found some Chrome extensions that actually work incredibly well in the Android arena and add a lot of interesting value into the mobile web adventure. This is the first of a two-part collection. Today, we’ll look at five Chrome extensions that you can add into Vivaldi to save yourself steps and bring a welcome efficiency boost to your Android web work. Later this week, we’ll round out the list with another set of extensions that’ll improve the internet itself in some truly intriguing ways. Ready to reinvent how you experience the web on your phone? [Get fresh Android tips in your inbox with my free Android Intelligence newsletter — one useful new thing to try every Friday!] A quick primer on Android Chrome extension installation Real quick, before we get into the good stuff: When you’re ready to try out an extension, you’ll need to have the latest version of the Vivaldi Android app on your device (obviously, right?) — then either tap the puzzle-shaped extensions icon in the toolbar at the top of the screen, if you see it, or tap the “V”-shaped main menu icon in the upper-right corner and select “Extensions” from there. Either way you go, you’ll see an option to “Discover more extensions.” That’ll take you to the Chrome Web Store, where you can search or browse through all the available extensions and install anything with a couple quick taps. I’ll also provide direct links to each extension I’m recommending below, so you can tap it to open it in Vivaldi on your phone and then install it directly from there. Note, too, that that same Vivaldi Extensions menu is where you can access and manage any installed extensions moving forward. You’ll see every extension you’ve installed there, and you can deactivate or uninstall anything as well as opt to have its icon pinned into your browser toolbar for easy ongoing access. Chrome Android extension #1: The cookie request crumbler Our first Android Chrome extension worth considering is one that you won’t ever open or actively think about once you install it and set it up. It’s a tool that works silently in the background to automatically handle those irksome cookie preference prompts that pop up around the web — so they’ll always get answered in the way you prefer, but you’ll never actually have to see or deal with ’em (and have ’em blocking half your view, in a mobile web scenario!) again. It’s called Consent-o-Matic, and the way it works is simple: You install it, open its options page once to tell it which cookies you do and don’t want to allow around the web — and that’s pretty much it. From there on out, it’ll just click on all those prompts that pop up for you, based on your preferences, and they won’t interfere with your work or irritate you anymore. Consent-o-Matic remembers your cookie preferences and then applies them for you automatically all over the web.JR Raphael, Foundry One option to look at while you’re in that initial setup area is in the “Display” tab at the top of the screen. By default, Consent-O-Matic will show any pop-ups it’s handling in a small overlay in the corner of the screen — but you can eliminate that entirely and make the process completely out of sight and invisible, if you want. You can make Consent-o-Matic completely invisible so you never so much as see another cookie prompt again.JR Raphael, Foundry Yes, please — and thank you. Chrome Android extension #2: 404 no more Next is another quietly useful addition, and that’s the official Chrome extension for the Wayback Machine at the Internet Archive. With the Wayback Machine extension active in your Android web browser, anytime you land on a page that for whatever reason isn’t online anymore or just isn’t available at that particular moment, you’ll see an offer to go to the page’s most recent cached version. You can also call the extension up on demand to search for older saved versions of any pages by either pinning its icon to your Vivaldi toolbar or long-pressing a link within any page you’re viewing to reveal its menu of options. The Wayback Machine Chrome extension integrates seamlessly into Vivaldi’s long-press link menu.JR Raphael, Foundry Chrome Android extension #3: A background open shortcut I don’t know about you, but when I’m wading my way around the web, I find myself opening links a lot — often with the intent to look at ’em later. Typically, that requires long-pressing on the link and then finding the option to open it in a background tab. But with a handy extension called DoubleClicker, that same action can be easier than ever. Install DoubleClicker into your Android Vivaldi browser, and that’s it: From that moment forward, you can simply double-tap your finger on any link within any page, and it’ll open instantly as a background tab — waiting and ready for when you want it and without any waiting, poking around, or other interruptions to your workflow. This might just be my favorite addition of all. Chrome Android extension #4: Hands-free scrolling The next time you’re reading something on your phone, keep a little somethin’ called Auto Scroll Extension in mind. As its name suggests, the extension lets you set any speed you like and then simply tap its icon (which works best if you pin it to your toolbar) to automatically scroll the page for you — so you can keep reading without having to do a thing. Look, ma: No hands! Auto Scroll in action in Vivaldi on Android.JR Raphael, Foundry Chrome Android extension #5: Easier password access Last but not least for this list is an addition that seems strange on the surface — but hear me out: If you’re using an Android password manager other than the Google Password Manager — like 1Password or Bitwarden — try installing its extension into Vivaldi on your phone. Yes, it’s redundant with having the standalone app installed and set as your system-wide password management service. But it often ends up being faster and easier to have a sign-in handled directly within the browser instead of having to rely on the system-level integration. And having the browser-based option present doesn’t prevent you from using the other route, either. You’ve just got options, and you can pick whichever feels fastest and easiest to you at any given moment. Try it out for yourself and see whatcha think. And stay tuned for the second set of worthwhile Android Chrome extensions soon! Your next mission: Come check out my free Android Intelligence newsletter to get something new and useful in your inbox every Friday — and get my awesome Android Notification Power-Pack today.
