Midori browser adds horizontal tabs to Android and integrates three new search engines

The folks at Astian seem to be on a roll with Midori browser updates. Just yesterday, we highlighted a fresh bug-fixing update for Android that solved issues with the toolbar and download management.

Now, in a blog post, Astian has announced that they’re working on the next version, which will bring new features to the browser.

The most notable visual change on mobile devices in this upcoming release will be a new tabs layout, dubbed “Horizon Tabs” by Astian. Most mobile browsers organize tabs as cards or in a vertical list. Both methods make it hard to keep track of open pages when you have more than five.

Midor’s update will let Android users switch to a horizontal tab layout that fills the screen width. If you’ve used Vivaldi, you’d be familiar with the new layout. This adds to the tab groups introduced in August this year, which let users organize sessions into logical groups.

Astian notes that the company has been focusing on this particular group of users who “love customizing their browser and miss having ultimate control over everything”.

It can be overwhelming to manage many tabs and sessions on mobile, but having different layouts helps. Swiping between sessions may take some getting used to, but it is a useful new feature.

Another browsing-related change is the introduction of three search engine options, available in the browser settings. Users can choose from Startpage, Ecosia, and Qwant in the default search engines list. AstianGO remains the default, but the company is not affiliated with the other three search engines.

According to Astian’s blog post, “there are no agreements with any of these sites; however, they do contain ads, so our ad blocker will block them.” So basically, the company wants to give users more options and flexibility without promoting any particular search engine.

The address bar suggestions are getting an overhaul as well. Previously, suggestions only included the usual options, but now they will also show open tabs, bookmarks, and browsing history. The update is also going to make it easier to return to articles you read or tabs you left open while multitasking.

Another handy feature is voice search, which lets you speak and have the address bar autocomplete URLs. Search suggestions will also include trending topics.

This update builds on last month’s major release, which added Reading Mode and default secure connections with HTTPS. Astian seems to want Midori to become a daily browser for Android users by quickly adding new features and fixing issues.

There’s no ETA for when the update will appear on the Play Store, but it probably will not take long. Stay tuned to our Midori coverage to learn when the update goes live.

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