How To Use Proxy On Vivaldi Browser?

Vivaldi is a privacy-focused, feature-rich web browser based on Chromium. Using a proxy server with Vivaldi can enhance your privacy and allow you to manage multiple accounts without sharing the same IP address. Unlike Firefox, Vivaldi does not have a built-in proxy configuration menu – instead it relies on your operating system’s proxy settings or extensions. In this guide, we’ll explain three practical methods to use a proxy in Vivaldi, covering system-level proxy settings (for Windows, macOS, and Linux), command-line launch options, and browser extensions. We will also address all major proxy types (HTTP, HTTPS, and SOCKS5) and provide step-by-step instructions with examples (using the format IP:Port:Login:Password as we provided).

Example Proxy Format: If your proxys.io proxy is given as 203.0.113.45:3128:mylogin:mypassword, this means the proxy server’s IP address is 203.0.113.45, the port is 3128, and the username/password for authentication are mylogin/mypassword. We’ll use this example format in the steps below.

Method 1: Using System Proxy Settings (Windows, macOS, Linux)

By default, Vivaldi uses the operating system’s network proxy settings. When you go to Vivaldi Menu » Tools » Settings » Network » Proxy Settings, it opens your OS’s proxy configuration dialog rather than a Vivaldi-specific dialog. Configuring a proxy at the system level will direct all applications on the machine (including Vivaldi) through the proxy. Below are instructions for setting a system-wide proxy on Windows, macOS, and Linux:

Windows (System Proxy Settings)

1. Open Vivaldi’s Network Settings: Launch Vivaldi and click the Vivaldi menu icon (the V logo in the top-left). Go to Tools > Settings, then select the Network section. Click the Proxy Settings button. This will open the Windows “Internet Properties” dialog for LAN proxy settings (since Vivaldi delegates to Internet Explorer/Windows settings).
2. Open LAN Settings: In the Internet Properties dialog (Connections tab), click the LAN Settings button. A new window will appear for Local Area Network (LAN) settings.
3. Enable Proxy Server: Under “Proxy server”, check the option “Use a proxy server for your LAN”. This activates the address and port fields for the proxy.
4. Enter Proxy Address and Port: In the Address field, enter your proxy server’s IP or hostname, and in the Port field enter the port number. For example, with proxy 203.0.113.45:3128:mylogin:mypassword, enter 203.0.113.45 as the address and 3128 as the port. (Windows’ proxy settings do not have separate fields for username/password – those will be entered later when prompted.)
5. Configure Proxy Type (HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS): Click the Advanced button to specify proxy settings for different protocols. In the Proxy Settings window:

• You can reuse the same proxy for all protocols by checking “Use the same proxy server for all protocols” (convenient if you want one proxy for HTTP, HTTPS, etc.). In that case, the HTTP proxy you entered will apply to secure (HTTPS) traffic as well.
• If you need to set specific proxies per protocol, enter the details under each protocol. For example, you might input the same IP and port under HTTP and Secure (HTTPS). There is also a field for SOCKS – if you are using a SOCKS5 proxy, scroll to the Socks field and enter the IP and port there. (Ensure “Use same proxy for all protocols” is unchecked if you are configuring SOCKS separately.)

6. (Optional) Bypass List: Still in the Advanced settings, you can specify any addresses that should bypass the proxy (e.g. internal network hosts). This is optional; leave it blank or default unless required.
7. Save Settings: Click OK to close the Proxy Settings/Advanced window, then click OK again to close the LAN Settings dialog. Finally, hit OK on Internet Properties to apply the new proxy configuration system-wide.
8. Authenticate if Required: If your proxy requires a login, the first time you try to load a page in Vivaldi, Windows will prompt you for the proxy authentication. A window will pop up asking for Username and Password for the proxy. Enter the credentials (for our example, username mylogin and password mypassword) and click OK/Sign In. You may also check an option to remember/save these credentials so you don’t get prompted repeatedly.
9. All Done – Proxy Active: Once authenticated, Vivaldi’s traffic will go through the proxy server. You can proceed to browse and your public IP will appear as the proxy’s IP. Note: These changes affect the entire Windows system (all browsers and apps) since we altered the OS proxy settings. To stop using the proxy, you would return to the same settings and disable the proxy server option.

macOS (System Proxy Settings)

1. Open Network Proxy Settings: In Vivaldi, go to Menu > Tools > Settings > Network > Proxy Settings (or on macOS you can directly open System Settings > Network). This will open the macOS Network settings window. Select your active network interface (e.g. Wi-Fi or Ethernet) and click Details… (or Advanced on older macOS versions), then navigate to the Proxies tab.
2. Enable Proxy and Enter Address: In the Proxies tab, you will see a list of proxy protocol options (e.g. Web Proxy (HTTP), Secure Web Proxy (HTTPS), FTP Proxy, SOCKS Proxy, etc.). Check the box for the protocol you want to configure:

• For an HTTP proxy, tick Web Proxy (HTTP). For an HTTPS (SSL) proxy, tick Secure Web Proxy (HTTPS). (You will typically configure both HTTP and HTTPS with the same proxy details if using a single HTTP(S) proxy for all web traffic.)
• For a SOCKS5 proxy, tick SOCKS Proxy.
  Once you check a box, fields will appear on the right to input the proxy server address and port.

3. Input Proxy Details: Enter the proxy IP address (or hostname) and port number in the fields provided for each proxy type you enabled. For example, for our proxy 203.0.113.45:3128:mylogin:mypassword, enter 203.0.113.45 as the address and 3128 as the port in the Web Proxy (HTTP) section. Repeat the same for Secure Web Proxy (HTTPS) (macOS treats them separately). If using a SOCKS5 proxy, enter the IP and port under SOCKS Proxy.
4. Provide Authentication (if required): If the proxy requires a username/password, check the option “Proxy server requires password” (available for each proxy type). This will enable the Username and Password fields. Enter your proxy login (e.g. mylogin) and password (e.g. mypassword) in those fields.
5. Apply Settings: Click OK (or Save) to close the details/advanced panel, then click Apply in the Network settings window to save the changes. Your macOS network is now configured to use the proxy for the protocols you specified.
6. Proxy in Effect: Vivaldi (and any other app that uses system proxies) will now use the configured proxy. All HTTP/HTTPS requests from Vivaldi will go to 203.0.113.45:3128 in our example, with authentication supplied. Note: The proxy setting is system-wide for that network service. macOS will use this proxy for all applications’ traffic on that network connection. To disable it, return to the Proxies tab and untick those proxy checkboxes.

Linux (System Proxy Settings)

On Linux, Vivaldi will use the environment’s proxy settings if available. Chromium-based browsers on Linux automatically detect GNOME or KDE desktop proxy settings. If you are using a GNOME-based environment (Ubuntu, etc.) or KDE Plasma, you can set a system proxy through their settings:

• GNOME/Ubuntu: Go to Settings > Network > Proxy. Change from “None” to Manual proxy configuration. There you can enter the proxy details for HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP, and a SOCKS host. For example, set HTTP Proxy to 203.0.113.45 and Port 3128. Do the same for HTTPS Proxy. (GNOME might not have fields for username/password; the browser will prompt for credentials when needed, or you may include them in the URL as described below.) After filling in the details, find an option to “Apply system wide” and enable it. This ensures the proxy is used for all applications.
• KDE Plasma: Open System Settings > Network > Proxy. Choose Manual and enter the proxy host and port for the protocols you want (HTTP, HTTPS, etc.), similar to GNOME. Apply the settings for the system.
• Other Desktop Environments: If your DE doesn’t have a proxy GUI, you can still set environment variables or use Vivaldi’s command flags (described in Method 2). Common environment variables are http_proxy, https_proxy, and socks_proxy (or ALL_PROXY). For instance, you could export http_proxy="http://mylogin:mypassword@203.0.113.45:3128" in your shell before launching Vivaldi. This method passes the proxy info (including credentials) to the browser process.

Once the system proxy is set on Linux, Vivaldi will obey those settings for network connections. Remember that on Linux, if you’re not under GNOME/KDE, the system may not have a unified proxy setting – in such cases, using the command-line option (next section) or extension might be simpler.

Note: Setting a system proxy on Linux will affect other applications that respect these settings (e.g. other browsers, package managers, etc.). If you only want Vivaldi to use the proxy, consider the command-line method instead of a system-wide configuration.

Method 2: Using Command-Line Launch Options

You can instruct Vivaldi to use a proxy server by launching it with specific command-line flags, without changing any system settings. This method is useful if you want only Vivaldi to use the proxy and not other apps. It also allows using proxies on the fly or per-instance. Vivaldi (Chromium) supports the standard Chromium flags like --proxy-server for this purpose.

The basic syntax is:

vivaldi --proxy-server="<proxy_scheme>://<proxy_address>:<port>"

Replace <proxy_scheme> with the type (http, https, or socks5), and <proxy_address>:<port> with your proxy’s host and port. For proxies with authentication, include the credentials in the URL as username:password@ just before the address.

Below are platform-specific tips for using this method:

Windows (Using a Shortcut or Run Command)

1. Close any running Vivaldi instances. Then decide whether to use a one-time launch or create a persistent shortcut.

One-time launch: Press Win+R to open the Run dialog (or open a Command Prompt). Enter a command like:

"C:\Program Files\Vivaldi\Application\vivaldi.exe" --proxy-server="http://203.0.113.45:3128"

 Adjust the path if your Vivaldi is installed elsewhere. This example launches Vivaldi routing all traffic via an HTTP proxy at 203.0.113.45:3128. If the proxy requires login, include it:

"C:\Program Files\Vivaldi\Application\vivaldi.exe" --proxy-server="http://mylogin:mypassword@203.0.113.45:3128"

2. This format (username:password@host:port) passes your credentials to Vivaldi, so it can authenticate with the proxy server.
3. Using a shortcut: If you want Vivaldi to always use a proxy when launched from a specific shortcut, you can modify the shortcut target:

• Right-click the Vivaldi shortcut (on Desktop or Start Menu) and choose Properties.

In the Target field, after the closing quote of the path, add a space and then the --proxy-server="..." flag with your proxy details. For example:

"C:\Program Files\Vivaldi\Application\vivaldi.exe" --proxy-server="socks5://203.0.113.45:1080"

• (This example sets a SOCKS5 proxy on IP 203.0.113.45 port 1080. If that SOCKS5 proxy required a login, you could include it as socks5://mylogin:mypassword@203.0.113.45:1080.)
• Click OK to save. Now launching Vivaldi via this shortcut will always use the specified proxy.

DNS Note for SOCKS5: If you use a SOCKS5 proxy, Chrome/Vivaldi might by default still perform DNS lookups locally. To avoid potential DNS leaks when using SOCKS, you can add another flag:

--host-resolver-rules="MAP * ~NOTFOUND, EXCLUDE <proxy_host>"

4.  replacing <proxy_host> with your proxy’s hostname or IP. This forces Vivaldi to send DNS queries through the proxy. (This is optional, but good for privacy with SOCKS5 proxies.)

When you launch Vivaldi with the above flags, it will ignore the system proxy settings and use the specified proxy server for all web traffic in that session. No other applications are affected.

macOS (Launch from Terminal)

1. Ensure Vivaldi is closed, then open the Terminal app.

Run the Vivaldi application with the --proxy-server flag. For example:

/Applications/Vivaldi.app/Contents/MacOS/Vivaldi --proxy-server="http://203.0.113.45:3128"

 This will launch Vivaldi using the proxy at 203.0.113.45:3128. If your proxy needs a login, include it in the URL, e.g.:

/Applications/Vivaldi.app/Contents/MacOS/Vivaldi --proxy-server="http://mylogin:mypassword@203.0.113.45:3128"

 Use socks5:// in place of http:// for a SOCKS5 proxy. For instance:

/Applications/Vivaldi.app/Contents/MacOS/Vivaldi --proxy-server="socks5://203.0.113.45:1080"

2.  (Add credentials in the same way if needed: socks5://mylogin:mypassword@...)
3. Vivaldi will start and route traffic through the specified proxy. You can verify by checking your IP on a test site. All other apps on macOS will not be using this proxy – it’s only active for this Vivaldi process.

For convenience, you could create an Automator script or modify the app’s launch command to include these flags, but the simplest method is launching from Terminal or creating a small shell script if you use this often.

Linux (Launch from Terminal or Desktop File)

1. Close Vivaldi if it’s running. Open a Terminal.

Launch Vivaldi with the proxy flag. On Linux the command will be in your PATH, so for example:

vivaldi --proxy-server="http://203.0.113.45:3128"

This uses the HTTP proxy on 203.0.113.45:3128. For proxies with auth, include them as:

vivaldi --proxy-server="http://mylogin:mypassword@203.0.113.45:3128"

2.  (Replace with socks5://... for SOCKS5 proxies as needed.)
3. Vivaldi will run using that proxy only. The system’s global proxy settings (if any) are bypassed when you use the --proxy-server flag. This allows Vivaldi to have its own proxy independent of other applications.
4. Optional persistent setup: If you always want to use this proxy, you can modify the desktop launcher. On many Linux systems, the desktop entry file is located at /usr/share/applications/vivaldi.desktop or similar. You can copy it to ~/.local/share/applications/ and edit the Exec= line to append --proxy-server="..." so that whenever you start Vivaldi from menus, it uses the proxy. Keep in mind updates might overwrite the system desktop file, so a user-local copy is better to persist changes.

Note: Using the command-line method, Vivaldi will not automatically prompt for proxy credentials if you forgot to include them. If you omit username:password@ for an authenticated proxy, the connection may fail (unlike system-level which would prompt you via the OS). Always include the credentials in the flag or use a proxy that doesn’t require auth for this method.

Method 3: Using a Browser Extension

Another convenient way to use a proxy in Vivaldi is by installing a proxy manager extension. Vivaldi supports most Chrome extensions, so you can use extensions from the Chrome Web Store to manage proxies within the browser. A proxy extension can toggle proxies on/off for Vivaldi without affecting system-wide settings. This is ideal for quickly switching proxies or using multiple proxy profiles.

Popular Proxy Extensions: Examples include ProxyControl (proxys.io’s own extension), FoxyProxy Standard, and SwitchyOmega. These extensions add a button in Vivaldi’s toolbar to enable/disable proxies or configure multiple proxy profiles.

Follow these general steps to set up a proxy using an extension (we'll use FoxyProxy as an example, but steps are similar for others):

1. Install the Extension: Open the Chrome Web Store in Vivaldi (Vivaldi will redirect to the Chrome Web Store since it’s Chromium-based). Search for your chosen proxy extension (e.g., “FoxyProxy” or “ProxyControl”). Click “Add to Chrome” to install it. Confirm any permission prompts – the extension icon should appear in Vivaldi’s address bar or extension menu.
2. Add a Proxy Profile: Click the new extension’s icon and go to its Options or Settings page. In FoxyProxy, for instance, click Options, then Add New Proxy.
3. Enter Proxy Details: In the extension’s proxy configuration screen, fill in the details of your proxy:

• Proxy Type/Protocol: Select the type of proxy (HTTP, HTTPS, or SOCKS5) from a dropdown. For example, choose “HTTP” for an HTTP(S) proxy or “SOCKS5” for a SOCKS proxy.
• Proxy Address and Port: Enter the IP address (or hostname) and port number. For our example 203.0.113.45:3128, enter 203.0.113.45 as the address and 3128 as the port.
• Authentication: If the proxy requires login, enter the Username and Password (e.g., mylogin and mypassword) in the provided fields. Most proxy manager extensions support HTTP/HTTPS proxy authentication. (For FoxyProxy, you’d check “Proxy requires authentication” and input the credentials.)

4. Save and Enable: Save the proxy profile in the extension. Then switch the extension’s mode to use that proxy. For example, in FoxyProxy you might set the mode to “Use proxy proxys.io for all URLs” (depending on what you named it), or simply turn the proxy ON. In ProxyControl, you would select the proxy from the list to activate it.
5. Test the Proxy: With the extension enabled and proxy profile active, navigate to a website to confirm your IP has changed to the proxy’s IP. The extension might also show a status indicator. If required, the browser may prompt for credentials the first time (though since you entered them in the extension, it often handles the auth).

Using an extension confines the proxy usage to just Vivaldi and is easy to toggle off when you no longer need the proxy. You can maintain multiple proxy configurations and switch between them quickly.

Limitations: While extensions are convenient, be aware of a few considerations:

• Proxy Type Support: Chrome’s extension API allows setting HTTP and HTTPS proxies with authentication easily. However, authenticated SOCKS5 proxies are not supported via extensions due to Chrome’s limitations. For instance, ProxyControl notes that you cannot input a username/password for a SOCKS5 proxy in the extension; such proxies would require an external tool or system-level setup. If you need to use a SOCKS5 proxy with a login, you should use method 1 or 2 instead of an extension.
• Extension Scope: The proxy set by an extension only affects traffic in the browser itself. This means other applications or even other browsers are not impacted – which is usually the goal. It also means if you have internal Vivaldi features or extensions that use their own network layer, they should also obey the extension’s proxy (most web requests do).
• Performance: Generally, using a proxy via extension is as effective as system proxy. Just ensure you don’t have conflicting settings (e.g., if a system proxy is also enabled, the extension may override it or vice versa depending on how it’s implemented).

Choosing the Best Method & Additional Considerations

We’ve outlined three ways to use a proxy in Vivaldi. Here’s how to choose the appropriate method for your needs and important things to remember:

• System Proxy (Method 1): Best if you want all your web traffic (not just Vivaldi) to go through a proxy. This is a one-time setup for the whole OS. Remember it affects all browsers and internet applications. Use this if you have a corporate or campus proxy, or if you want a single point to turn the proxy on/off for everything. Downside: you cannot easily have Vivaldi on proxy and another browser direct – it’s all or nothing unless you constantly toggle settings.
• Command-Line Flag (Method 2): Great for isolating proxy use to Vivaldi without touching system settings. You might use this for a portable or dedicated Vivaldi setup that always uses a certain proxy. It’s also useful for scripting or advanced use-cases (you can create multiple shortcuts each launching Vivaldi with different proxies, useful for multi-profile usage). It supports all proxy types (HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS5); just be careful with credentials in the command (they might be visible in the process list). This method is technical but ensures only Vivaldi traffic is proxied.
• Extension (Method 3): Easiest for on-the-fly switching and using proxies only within Vivaldi. Ideal if you regularly swap between different proxy servers or only need a proxy occasionally. It keeps the configuration in the browser and can be enabled or disabled with a click. Just note the SOCKS5 authentication limitation – if your proxy is SOCKS5 with a password, an extension alone won’t handle it. Also, ensure you trust the extension (since it handles your internet traffic).

Security Tip: Always obtain proxies from reputable providers. When using credentials (login/password), keep them secure. Vivaldi will store them either in the OS credential manager (system proxy) or in the browser settings (extensions may store encrypted). If you stop using a proxy, remember to remove or disable it to avoid unexpected connectivity issues.

By following the above methods, you should be able to configure any HTTP, HTTPS, or SOCKS5 proxy for use with the Vivaldi browser. This gives you greater control over your IP address and network routing while using Vivaldi, whether for privacy, testing, or accessing geo-restricted content. Happy browsing!