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Beat This, Google Chrome: This Browser Will Soon Be Available in Over 40 Million Cars

The consensus is right that Google Chrome is the leading browser on the desktop. Big names like Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari are dominating the browser space, but alternatives like Vivaldi are slowly but surely gaining traction.
Vivaldi is the recommended browser for VW customers 6 photos
Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/CARIAD
Vivaldi on Android AutomotiveVivaldi on Android AutomotiveVivaldi on Android AutomotiveVivaldi on Android AutomotiveVivaldi on Android Automotive
Also running on Chromium, the engine that powers Google Chrome, Vivaldi has already debuted in the car sector with an Android Automotive version. The browser is now getting a major boost on this front by becoming the browser of choice in the app store adopted by Volkswagen Group.

Announced this week at MWC in Barcelona, the app store developed by CARIAD will make its way to all Volkswagen Group models, therefore providing users with access to all kinds of software tools. Vivaldi will be the recommended browser, and Audi models will adopt it in July this year.

A Vivaldi spokesperson told me the company expects the browser to eventually make its way to over 40 million vehicles.

On the desktop, Vivaldi impresses with its obsession with user privacy and customization features. Part of this arsenal is moving to cars as well, so the browser will sport a built-in ad blocker for a clean browsing experience.

The browser will also integrate tracking protection, as well as encrypted sync functionality to allow the data to roam across devices.

Flagship desktop features make their way to Volkswagen cars as well, including tabbed browsing and streaming abilities.

In case you’re wondering who needs a browser in a car, the answer is pretty simple. The application can come in handy when waiting to pick up the kids from school or charging the vehicle. Thanks to its advanced feature lineup, Vivaldi offers an experience that gets closer to the one on the desktop or mobile, especially because must-have capabilities, such as the ad blocker, are available.

Vivaldi has long been my preferred browser on the desktop thanks to its insane customization option. Despite running on the same engine as Chrome and Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi is pushing personalization and privacy to new levels, in many ways pioneering essential features that are rather common today. For example, vertical tabs, the feature that Microsoft insists on in Microsoft Edge, has been around for several years in Vivaldi.

I already said this on multiple occasions, but I'm going to say it again anyway. Vivaldi does boast a special je ne sais quoi, so I think the only thing it's missing is VPN support. Of course, this wouldn’t make much sense in a car, or at least, not right now. But on desktop and mobile, the integrated VPN would allow users to browse the web anonymously without leaving any traces behind. At this point, Vivaldi is still exploring its options on this front, but the VPN support isn’t yet on the roadmap.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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