Nekokami

Ads by Google

Saturday, May 25, 2024

Incredible Startpage 1.8 Released

Hello, fellow Incredible Startpagers!

The third extension that received an update! Version 1.8 is out now. If you're new to Incredible Startpage, this is a simple tutorial.  Or you can catch up on everything about this extension in these posts.

Just like the other extensions that were updated recently, little is changed visually, but under the hood, it's like we've given extension a whole new engine to run on, all to keep up with the latest Manifest V3.



What's Changed?

  • Migrate to Manifest V3 (Not surprising, right?)
  • Remove Chrome Apps tab (They no longer exist, right?)


Important Change on Notepad Storage

The content in the notepad is now synced using chrome.storage instead of relying on bookmarks as a workaround. This keeps the data within the extension's scope. However, it also means that if you uninstall the extension, the notepad content will be lost. This is different from the previous version, where the bookmarks were not removed when uninstalling the startpage.

A sidenote regarding syncing the notepad: if you have enabled this option, you also need to enable Chrome Sync for the extension (not bookmarks anymore). If you uninstall the extension on one machine, it will disappear on another machine with the same profile. This means that the notepad content will be deleted along with the extension. This is how syncing is intended to work, and we hope you understand this functionality before using it.

Recently Close tabs

In this version, the chrome.sessions API is used to bring back recently closed tabs, ensuring that both tabs and windows are restored with their history and positions from the start page.

Just a heads-up, though: you won't be able to clear them directly within the extension (because no such Chrome API is available to extension). So, I've added a handy toggle button to help you manage the visibility of your tabs in this area. If you need to clear your recently closed tabs, simply hop over to the history settings.


Problems after upgrade


I tried moving all settings to the new V3, but if something went awry. Here's what you can do:

Missing notepad content?
If you had notepad sync on, check the bookmark in "Extension settings > Incredible Startpage Notepad."

Lost other settings?
Right-click and inspect the startpage, then type "localStorage" in the console; your old settings should be there.

That's all for now. Enjoy!

13 comments:

GoldStane said...

Hi. It would be nice to bring back the ability to open closed tabs with the middle mouse button.

StevenA said...

With the new version 1.8 update, the Incredible Startpage refuses to default to Most Visited icons in the main window when starting. It opens to My Bookmarks instead. I can switch to Most Visited, but next time it opens it's back to My Bookmarks. I see no way to change that.

ROL said...

Hey, what about firefox? your extension keeps me on chrome.

dw21 said...

With the new version, if I clear the notepad text, next time I open a start page the default text re-appears. So I have to clear it, again... This didn't happen with the last version.

Lisa Pohlmeyer said...

I love this extension! Since I didn't use the notepad, that didn't change for me. I use the hide button for the recent list. Glad to see that it's still around. Makes my life so much easier! I've passed it on as much as I can.

Visibo Team said...

@GoldStane: The closed tabs are no longer just links that's why the middle click won't work. I will investigate this.
@StevenA: I will fix this in next update.
@dw21: Please type something first, a single character will do. When the notepad is empty, the default message is displayed again. Or use the toggle button to hide the notepad. I will fix it in next update.

Hello everyone, I appreciate your feedback. Due to my primary workload being demanding, the next version may take some time. Thank you for your understanding.

dw21 said...

Many thanks! A space does it, good work-around!
Thanks for the great support.

Tim said...

Every new tab opens the Bookmarks box to the home position instead of where it was last. It used to save it.

Koen Lemmen said...

Can we set most visited as default instead of bookmarks? Thanks

Visibo Team said...

I have submitted the 1.8.1 patch, once the webstore approves it, all the above issues should be resolved.

ROL said...

One thing starts to irk me, I could clear closed tabs now I only have visible / not visible icon.

fgt052962 said...

while I understand why somebody would put a new engine in a car (extension), it has me absolutely baffled why that somebody would chose to turn a smooth running vehicle into a barely rolling wheel barrel.

I've been using this extension since its inception and can't phantom why the developer would chose to ruin the only (ONLY) truly working startpage for Chrome.
Beyond disappointing...
Put the old features back and leave good enough alone!

Visibo Team said...

@fgt052962 I've outlined the necessity for the change in my post. Significant effort has been invested to ensure the extension remains on the webstore, as it faced removal soon without the rewrite. Regarding the 'feature gone' claim, only outdated features like the App tab have been removed. The changes also bring improvements, such as enabling recently closed tabs to restore windows, history, and position.

Ads by Google