Vivaldi’s latest release, Apple’s sweeping OS refresh, Google’s new Spotlight-like desktop search, Microsoft’s automatic Copilot roll‑out for Microsoft 365 customers, and a batch of platform-level housekeeping items made up a brisk tech news cycle on September 20 — each item carrying practical changes for power users, IT teams, and privacy-conscious consumers alike.
The second half of 2025 has continued a familiar pattern: vendors shipping targeted quality-of-life updates while accelerating platform-level AI integrations and design refreshes. Browsers and third‑party apps are adding incremental user controls, while major platform holders — Apple, Google, and Microsoft — are pushing deeper system integrations and new default behaviors that shift responsibility onto device owners and administrators. This week’s developments need to be read both as standalone features and as pieces of a larger trend: personalization and AI features at surface level, and increasingly centralized control and distribution at the platform level.
Source: FileHippo September 20 Tech news roundup: Vivaldi gets a customizable tab bar, Apple releases iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26, Windows will install Copilot automatically for Microsoft 365 users
Background
The second half of 2025 has continued a familiar pattern: vendors shipping targeted quality-of-life updates while accelerating platform-level AI integrations and design refreshes. Browsers and third‑party apps are adding incremental user controls, while major platform holders — Apple, Google, and Microsoft — are pushing deeper system integrations and new default behaviors that shift responsibility onto device owners and administrators. This week’s developments need to be read both as standalone features and as pieces of a larger trend: personalization and AI features at surface level, and increasingly centralized control and distribution at the platform level. Vivaldi 7.6: A fully customizable tab bar
What changed
Vivaldi 7.6 delivers a fully customizable tab bar, allowing users to add, remove, and rearrange tab‑bar buttons through a Toolbar Editor accessible from the tab bar’s context menu. A new Tab button presents a pop‑up panel with all open tabs, recently closed tabs, and an inline search — a design that mirrors some features other browsers offer but in Vivaldi’s compact, popup‑first style. The update also revitalizes the address bar with keyword shortcuts such as @tabs, @bookmarks, and @history, and includes performance and gesture improvements on Windows (faster waking of sleeping tabs; new trackpad and touch navigation support).Why it matters
- Vivaldi remains focused on customization and power‑user workflows; the tab bar editor brings that ethos to a part of the UI most users interact with dozens of times per day.
- The @tabs and other address‑bar keywords turn the address bar into a quick navigator across your personal browser state — helpful when tab sprawl threatens productivity.
- Faster wake times for sleeping tabs and improved gestures close small but noticeable gaps in day‑to‑day browsing fluidity.
Potential downsides
- Power features can complicate support and handoff in shared or managed environments; organizations that standardize around a single browser will need policies to manage Vivaldi-specific settings.
- Side effects from popup rules (e.g., aggressive closing of legitimate popups) could break web apps that rely on separate windows for authentication or payment flows; test before trusting the new defaults in production workflows.
Apple releases iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe 26
Summary of the release
Apple pushed its major OS updates — iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe 26 — with a strong visual and interaction theme called Liquid Glass, which emphasizes translucency, layered depth, and new motion treatments across the UI. Key user-facing features include:- Spatial Scene (Lock Screen): a 3D-like effect that separates subjects from backgrounds for a parallax-like wallpaper experience.
- A simplified Camera app UI that surfaces fewer immediate options (streamlining capture modes with swipe access to others).
- macOS Tahoe removes Launchpad, tightens Spotlight into an action-launching hub capable of quick actions, and introduces Phone, Journal, and Games apps to the Mac. Safari’s tab treatment becomes more immersive and transparent, aligning with Liquid Glass aesthetics.
Enterprise and management changes
Apple has continued to iterate on device lifecycle and MDM behaviors tied to these OS releases. The new OS family includes workflows for MDM migration through Apple Business Manager that can eliminate device wipes during platform migration — a notable win for IT teams managing mixed fleets and reducing friction when changing management backends. This is especially consequential when organizations want to consolidate under solutions like Microsoft Intune.Reception and risks
- The Liquid Glass visual overhaul has been polarizing: while it modernizes the look and can improve perceived depth and readability, many users have complained about increased transparency and motion, and Apple currently offers limited ways to disable these effects entirely. The lack of granular opt‑outs can frustrate users sensitive to motion or those who prefer solid, less-distracting UI surfaces.
- The removal of Launchpad and changes to Safari’s tabs are design choices that may annoy long-time Mac users and enterprise app compatibility tests should include Safari behavior changes.
- Administrators should plan testing for MDM migrations and app compatibility ahead of broad rollouts, even if Apple’s new migration flow reduces wipe-related overhead.
Google’s new desktop search app for Windows
What Google shipped
Google launched an experimental desktop app for Windows via Google Search Labs that can be invoked with Alt + Space, offering a Spotlight‑like search bar that indexes local files, installed apps, Google Drive content, and the web. The app includes Google Lens functionality to let users select anything on screen for visual search and translation, and an AI Mode for deeper conversational follow‑ups. The experiment is currently opt‑in and limited to users in the United States via Search Labs.Practical implications
- This is Google’s answer to desktop quick‑search tools (Spotlight on macOS, PowerToys/Windows Search on Windows). It aims to reduce context switching and provide tighter integration between local and web search.
- Built‑in Lens and translation support means it’s useful for quick OCR and translation tasks without switching to other apps.
Caveats
- Indexing behavior, privacy controls, and enterprise‑grade search policies are unknown for the experiment. IT teams should evaluate what hits get uploaded or surfaced and require clear privacy controls before approving lab deployments.
Windows will automatically install the Microsoft 365 Copilot app for Microsoft 365 desktop users
The change and its scope
Microsoft documented that Windows devices with the Microsoft 365 desktop client apps will automatically install the Microsoft 365 Copilot app starting in Fall 2025; this automatic installation happens in the background and is not enabled for customers located in the European Economic Area (EEA). Administrators can disable automatic installation from the Microsoft 365 Apps admin center; personal users have fewer straightforward opt‑outs.Why this is significant
- The Copilot app functions as a centralized gateway to AI features across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other Microsoft 365 services; automatic installation effectively places Copilot on the Windows desktop by default for the majority of Microsoft 365 customers outside the EEA.
- This is a distribution and discoverability play as much as a feature rollout: the easier it is for users to find Copilot, the faster adoption metrics can grow — but that raises questions about consent, bloatware, and corporate policy alignment. Independent reporting and product pages confirm the plan and the EEA exception linked to regulatory and policy considerations.
How to prevent it (administrator options)
- Sign into Microsoft 365 Apps admin center with an admin account.
- Navigate to Customization > Device Configuration > Modern App Settings.
- Locate Microsoft 365 Copilot app and clear Enable automatic installation of Microsoft 365 Copilot app.
Risks and user reaction
- The move has drawn criticism for being effectively forced on many users with paid Microsoft 365 subscriptions; personal users without administrative controls may find it hard to opt out. Some outlets report strong negative reactions and calls for clearer controls.
- From a security perspective, installing any complex agent by default increases the attack surface; organizations should plan to verify Copilot configuration against existing data‑protection policies.
Linux Mint Debian Edition 7 (LMDE 7 “Gigi”) — beta released
Key facts
The first beta of LMDE 7 (Gigi) is available for testing. The distro is based on Debian 13 Trixie, inherits features introduced in Linux Mint 22.2, and is 64‑bit only — dropping support for 32‑bit installs consistent with Debian 13’s architecture decisions. System requirements remain modest (2 GB RAM minimum, 20 GB disk minimum). The final release is expected later in autumn 2025, with support aligned to Debian 13 LTS timelines (support window tied to Debian’s lifecycle).Implications
- Hardware vendors (OEMs) can preinstall LMDE 7, and users who need a stable, Debian‑based Mint experience without Ubuntu’s stack have a modern path forward.
- 32‑bit hardware users must upgrade to 64‑bit-capable hardware or remain on older releases; the transition is a hard cutoff because Debian upstream no longer supports i386 in the same way.
Steam will stop receiving updates on Windows 32‑bit from January 1, 2026
The decision
Valve announced that Steam will end updates for the Windows 32‑bit client on January 1, 2026, affecting the tiny fraction of users still running 32‑bit Windows (Steam reports ~0.01% usage). The client may continue to function in a limited capacity, but it will not receive feature updates or security patches after that date. Valve’s decision aligns with the industry’s long migration to 64‑bit architectures.Advice for affected users
- Verify whether your machine is running a 32‑bit Windows build (Settings > System > About).
- If hardware supports 64‑bit, perform an OS clean install of a 64‑bit Windows build and re‑install Steam.
- If hardware is old and cannot run 64‑bit Windows, consider migrating to another platform (Linux is a common path for older hardware) or replacing hardware.
Apple Sports expands across Europe
Apple updated its Apple Sports app with Home Screen widgets and expanded availability to eight new European countries: Austria, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. The free app offers live scores, schedules, standings, and custom team pages, plus Live Activities and widget support for real‑time updates on iPhone Lock Screens. Coverage includes a broad mix of sports and competitions (big‑league soccer, NBA, NFL, MLB, F1, and more).Critical analysis — strengths, risks, and what users should do
The broader trends
- Design-first rollouts (Apple): Liquid Glass shows Apple continuing to invest in platform-wide, coherent design languages. Strength: fresh, modern aesthetics and new UX primitives; risk: less configurability and potential accessibility regressions.
- Centralized AI distribution (Microsoft, Google): Microsoft’s Copilot push and Google’s AI‑rich desktop app show both vendors making AI features more discoverable by embedding them into default experiences. Strength: easier access to productivity tools; risk: forced distribution, privacy/consent concerns, and increased default telemetry.
- Incremental UX improvements (Vivaldi, Mint): Smaller players focus on customization and stability, preserving choice for advanced users and offering alternatives to platform defaults. Strength: choice and user control; risk: fragmentation and management complexity in mixed‑environment deployments.
Security, privacy, and manageability concerns
- Automatic installation of an AI gateway app (Copilot) creates a potential compliance and data‑exfiltration vector if not properly configured or audited — administrators must proactively disable or configure the app where corporate policy requires it.
- Google’s experimental desktop indexing needs privacy review in organizations: understand what is indexed, where metadata is stored, and whether enterprise policies permit use.
- Users with older hardware (32‑bit Windows) face diminishing platform support; Steam and distro decisions accelerate the need to plan upgrades.
Practical recommendations (for home users and IT teams)
- For personal users:
- If you subscribe to Microsoft 365 and dislike Copilot, check the Microsoft 365 Apps admin options (if you have admin access), or prepare to use Group Policy or Registry workarounds while awaiting clearer consumer opt‑outs.
- Test Apple’s Liquid Glass on a secondary device or create a pilot group before deploying company‑owned devices to avoid surprises.
- Update gaming PCs to 64‑bit Windows if Steam updates matter to you — the deadline for the 32‑bit client is January 1, 2026.
- For IT administrators:
- Review your Microsoft 365 Apps admin center settings immediately and decide on an organizational policy for Copilot installation and permitted usage.
- Validate your MDM migration strategy if you plan to move devices between management platforms; Apple’s new ABM migration flow can reduce wipe overhead, but it requires ABM enrollment and careful pre‑configuration.
- Add Google’s desktop app to a lab environment before any broader deployment; check indexing, enterprise data flows, and corporate DLP interactions.
Conclusion
This week’s updates highlight two parallel forces shaping modern computing: the steady refinement of user interfaces and productivity features by browsers and smaller distributions, and the aggressive platform-level consolidation of AI capabilities by major vendors. Vivaldi’s 7.6 release is a welcome reminder that choice and deep customization still matter, while Apple, Google, and Microsoft are driving centralized, discoverable AI and unified design experiences that will reshape everyday workflows — for better and for worse. The practical takeaway for readers and administrators is straightforward: test early, adjust policies deliberately, and treat automatic installations and platform migrations as decisions that require operational oversight rather than passive acceptance.Source: FileHippo September 20 Tech news roundup: Vivaldi gets a customizable tab bar, Apple releases iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26, Windows will install Copilot automatically for Microsoft 365 users
