Import and export bookmarks

Ayespy

@jhubele Why do you need to import? Why not merely sync?

jhubele

@Ayespy
Thank you for your quick response.
I do want to import only a subset of my bookmarks to my tablet. It's a manually curated list.
I do not need and I do not want to sync back to origin ever.

I must admit I am also cautious with sync functions in general. Without a recovery option for deleted or overridden data I would not use it.

Thanks.

Ayespy

@jhubele Since we can't import/export bookmarks to Android yet, sync is the available option.

I have enough confidence in Vivaldi sync that if I were in your shoes, I would sync my Android device with my primary, then turn off sync for Android and pare the list down to what I wanted on the Android device. It's a lot of work, but it's what I would do.

mt8482

This feature would be very useful to have as it would offer a workaround to sync. Currently sync has not been working for 6 days :

Thanks

Raizendavid002

@Ayespy This sounds so rude to me, it's not of your business why the user needs to export/import. We have the right to access our data, and you (as a brand) should provide the options for it. Currently I CAN'T ACCESS MY DATA after an OS reinstallation, and having my data on vivaldi mobile doesn't help at all.

All I know is I can't do manual export on mobile because you ARE FORCING THE USERS to use the sync and refuse to implement a manual export/import option. There you have your "confidence" in Sync.

iqaluit

@Raizendavid002 Let's cool it down friend, will you
He is just trying to help

Costaz

We need export, sync is not working anymore.

ViIT

Hello Vivaldi,

I would love to have the ability on any Mobile Device, to be able to manually import and export my bookmarks, and not rely simply on a Sync Service.

It's always nice in Tech to have a Backup Plan, be in control, and have the ability to do things.

At times I might use sync offered by companies, I will also create a bookmarks.html and manually upload, and save it to various online storage backups.

As I'm sure we've all learned, it's best to have a backup plan, and to not place all our eggs in one basket.

Please allow on Mobile, the ability to Import and Export bookmarks, just like on Desktops.

Thanks!

vzell

Please add support for exporting a specific folder as HTML, at least on desktop. It's so easy to handle bookmark folders inside the browser (cut/copy/paste) and exporting ALL bookmarks ... what makes it so problematic to enable exporting of simple folders. ?
Also copying bookmark folders between profiles should be possible ... at least Chrome supports it.

Inclement

What I'm worried about at the moment is backup: what if my phone breaks? I'd buy a new phone, but the old phone's speed dials (for instance) would be lost because there's no way to back them up.

Would this help in the meantime? Are there any holes in it? I've never used sync, so before I try it I'd appreciate feedback from people who know more.

(This would be for people who don't want Android and desktop completely merged but who are willing to try sync in a limited way.)

Export desktop bookmarks to an html file.
In the desktop bookmarks sidebar, select the entire list and delete it. (Is there a better way to do this?)
Sync current phone and desktop, bookmarks only.
Now the Android bookmarks, and only those, will be in the desktop installation.
Turn off sync.
Export the list of Android bookmarks (now located on desktop, temporarily) - to an html file. Now the Android bookmarks are backed up.
Delete all bookmarks again in the desktop sidebar.
Re-import the desktop bookmarks html file from step 1.

Then if current phone breaks and I have a new, empty phone, I could do this:

Export desktop bookmarks again.
Delete desktop bookmarks again.
Import the Android bookmarks html file from step 6 above into the desktop installation.
Install Vivaldi on the new phone.
Sync new phone and desktop, bookmarks only.
Now the new phone has all the bookmarks from the broken phone.
Delete all the desktop's bookmarks (which are still the Android ones at this point).
Import the desktop bookmarks you exported in step 1.

Zalex108

@Inclement

Hi,
Currently,
The only way is Sync and Root.

Since Root means, if not already applied, lost the data and start over, Sync is the only way.

You would create a different account por Mobile/Desktop, so data will not be merged.

The extra work to mix your preferred data, will be from your side only.

Inclement

@Zalex108

The workaround I proposed uses sync.

What do you think of it? Do you see any problems with it?

Zalex108

@Inclement

Yes,
That will work.

But overtime, you will probably add more bookmarks, so you end up, repeating to have a backup.

I see that lots of work, but on my side, I don't care about merge all the bookmarks, I just keep different SpeedDials and Folders.

Inclement

@Zalex108 said in Import and export bookmarks:

@Inclement

Yes,
That will work.

Oh good. Thank you for checking it over for errors.

But overtime, you will probably add more bookmarks, so you end up, repeating to have a backup.

True. But fortunately my speed dials (at least) are pretty stable now, unlike when I was first setting up my phone and adding new ones a lot.

I wonder, though... if whenever Vivaldi gives people a way to save data in the browser (speed dials, bookmarks, notes, and so on), maybe they shouldn't release those sorts of features without providing a way to back up / export-import right along with it. In other words, make keeping data safe just as important as encouraging people to store data.

After all we're constantly told, by everyone everywhere, "Back up your data!" We're also told, almost as often, that sync and backup are not the same, and in general (not just Vivaldi) we shouldn't rely on syncing for that.

So no wonder people are frustrated when we're told there is no solution here other than sync.

Zalex108

@Inclement
To backup is mostly expected on Desktop.
Mobile is usually closed to access Users' Data on Apps' Folders.

Sync happens when a Logged Device is online.
Backup when it's Offline.

Syncronizing between devices, then backing up on Desktop, should get all the information.

OC,
Some Mobile settings are not Sync'd as well as on Desktop.

BTW,
Would be nice that the Team Advises somehow about the importance of run your own data backup in the Start Up, on the Help...

lfisk

@Zalex108 said in Import and export bookmarks:

To backup is mostly expected on Desktop.
Mobile is usually closed to access Users' Data on Apps' Folders.

On Desktop most users have access to ALL the files Vivaldi runs on and stores data. On Android we have diddly squat unless you're running a rooted device. I have other Android apps that can save/write backup files to directories that are accessible without being rooted. Vivaldi should be be able to write a file to one too, for instance "Downloads".

Zalex108

@lfisk

I'm running mostly A10.
Since A12/A13 Google limited the access even to Data/Apps Data/Downloads.

Not sure whether any Browser allows to move to SD directly from the App itself.

From Dev Options you can allow to write outside, also using ADB and Shizuku, but allow it by default, which is the most comfortable, IDK.

lfisk

@Zalex108 Sorry if my tone seemed a bit rough, I tend to be terse in my posts and didn't mean to sound like a grouch...

On A11 here and had problems with getting apps to use the SD card too. "Downloads" in the main memory area is usually writable for most of my apps without doing anything outside normally accessible permissions. Really hope by the time I have to get a new device there are better, affordable options available than current Android defaults...

Zalex108

@lfisk

A year old devices gets some good deals on Amazon or AliExpress, at least on Spain.

Maybe in the future there's an easier option to access those storage settings/places.

Ayespy

@lfisk my 3-year-old Samsung device (Galaxy S-22) runs A14, but I suspect that is as far as it will ever update.