With so many social media networks to choose from, Vivaldi browser offers an easy way to stay connected. Let’s explore how you can view your favorite social platforms alongside your regular browsing tabs.

If you’ve been online recently, you’ve likely heard about Threads, Mark Zuckerberg’s Twitter-like platform, which comes with a touch of Instagram. But let’s set that aside for now and talk about other social alternatives that give you the freedom to share ideas and connect with a community. Vivaldi helps you tap into these networks in a more convenient way while browsing.

The Decline of Centralized Social Networks

The era of all-in-one platforms—where users spend most of their time discussing shared hobbies or issues—is fading. Popular sites like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter are now cluttered with ads and branded content, pushing people towards influencers and companies rather than each other People are looking for ways to increase their count such as buying TikTok followers, and the like.. As a result, users are turning to smaller, ad-free communities such as Mastodon, Discord, Reddit, and Hacker News to regain that sense of simplicity and community.

Vivaldi Social: A Decentralized, Ad-Free Platform on Mastodon

In November 2022, Vivaldi launched its own Mastodon server, Vivaldi Social, becoming the first browser company to join the decentralized world of the fediverse. Mastodon, unlike traditional social media, runs on independent servers with a shared protocol, ensuring users aren’t subjected to centralized control or censorship.

The quick setup of Vivaldi Social even garnered attention from Forbes, who titled the effort, “How Musk Made Vivaldi Build A Mastodon Server… In A Fortnight.” But more than just launching a new micro-blogging platform, Vivaldi also wanted to make it easy for users to access by integrating it into the browser’s sidebar.

The primary reason for launching Vivaldi Social was to give users a better alternative—one that offers communication in an algorithm-free space without surveillance capitalism, tracking, or data profiling.

Twitter’s Decline and the Rise of Vivaldi Social

While Twitter’s atmosphere became increasingly negative, and its algorithm-driven ad model became off-putting, Vivaldi continued to support its long-established community on the platform. However, with Vivaldi Social, users can enjoy a more liberating experience—no ads, no algorithms tracking you. This decentralized platform empowers users to move their communities freely, untethered from one tech company’s vision of online engagement.

It’s worth noting that the open, distributed nature of Mastodon and other fediverse platforms is gaining traction. Major companies like Mozilla, Medium, and Flipboard are now joining the fediverse, which reinforces the legitimacy of decentralized platforms like Mastodon. As more users embrace this concept, ActivityPub—the protocol that powers Mastodon—will become more widely accepted as a key internet standard alongside email and HTTP.

Governments are also supporting privacy-focused social media. For example, the European Commission has its own Mastodon server, and the Dutch government recently joined the platform.

How to Access Vivaldi Social in Your Browser

Signing up for Vivaldi Social is straightforward. Visit vivaldi.net to create a free account. If you already have a Vivaldi account, simply log in. You can also browse without an account, but to engage fully, you’ll need to sign up.

While new platforms can seem overwhelming at first, you’ll quickly get the hang of it. Here’s how to access Vivaldi Social from your browser:

Access Vivaldi Social via the Browser Panel: Vivaldi Social is integrated into the browser’s sidebar. You can also add any Mastodon instance as a Web Panel, which will display it in a split-screen view.

Access Vivaldi Social in a Tab: The Web Panel shows the mobile version of Vivaldi Social. If you prefer a larger desktop view, open Vivaldi Social in a new tab and pin it for easy access.

Install Vivaldi Social as a Progressive Web App (PWA): For a dedicated experience, you can install Vivaldi Social as a PWA. Open social.vivaldi.net in a tab, right-click the tab, select “Install Vivaldi Social,” and it will appear as an app on your desktop. You can also create a shortcut for quick access on Android devices.

Adding Other Social Networks to Vivaldi as Web Panels

Vivaldi lets you easily add your favorite social networks as Web Panels, giving you seamless access without switching between tabs. Here’s a quick guide to adding some popular platforms:

Hacker News: Perfect for tech news and discussions, Hacker News is ideal for a Web Panel because of its simple, minimalistic design. It’s widely used by programmers, tech enthusiasts, and entrepreneurs.

Stack Overflow: For developers or web designers, Stack Overflow is an invaluable resource. Adding it to your Web Panel can save time when you’re troubleshooting or looking for coding solutions.

Reddit: Known for its vibrant and varied communities, Reddit is a great platform to have at hand. Many users keep Reddit pinned in a browser tab, but by adding it as a Web Panel, you can keep it accessible yet discreet.

Share Your Experience with Vivaldi Social

We’d love to hear about the social networks you use, those you’ve left behind, or ones you’re curious to explore. Are you using Vivaldi Social actively or only occasionally? Let us know if there are any features we could improve to make your experience even better. As we’re still new to this space, feedback from our community is incredibly valuable.