We're excited to introduce Shift Browser—the next generation of Shift, designed with performance, personalization, and sustainability in mind. This article outlines what's new, what’s changing, what's the deal with migration, how to replicate email-connected Workspaces with Anchor apps, and how to unlock your Advanced features if you already have a paid subscription. 
 

What's New in Shift Browser

Shift Browser is a major redesign and upgrade that includes:

• Multi-window capability
• Incognito mode
• A refreshed interface with browser layout templates to choose from
• Full customization of your browser interface through modular design
• Improved Space (formerly Workspaces) and app management
  • Anchor Apps - choose any app to anchor your space when you double click that space. For v9 users, set an email app (Gmail, Outlook) as your Anchor App for the same functionality as Email connected v9 Workspaces.
  • A suite of Shift-built integrated apps
• Enhanced carbon-conscious design featuring the new Carbon Meter
• Performance improvements and better support for modern web technologies
• New data types to sync
   

What’s Been Removed 

While many features from Shift have carried over, some have been removed to streamline the experience: 

• Unified Calendar
• Epic Search
• Mute Notifications  

If you would like to see these features back, please reach out to Shift Support to share your feedback!
 

What's the deal with Migration? 

At this time, the Shift team is hard at work preparing the migration experience for v9 users to move their existing setup over to Shift Browser. We anticipate this will now launch in November or early December. Migration is not available for v9 users yet! 

You don't have to wait for migration, however, to get started in Shift Browser. If you don't mind recreating your setup from scratch or just want to play around a bit with the customization features, you can install Shift Browser and use both v9 and Shift Browser at the same time on the same computer! 
 

How to unlock your Advanced Features in Shift Browser

If you're interested in moving over to Shift Browser early (before migration is ready), you absolutely can! To avoid hitting a paywall, however, you'll need to login to Shift Browser using your Primary email from your existing Shift account. 

Follow these instructions to login to Shift Browser through Sync: 

1. Click on the gear icon to open the Quick Settings drawer.
2. Click the "Advanced Settings" button at the bottom for more settings options.
3. Click the “Accounts and Preferences” option on the left-hand sidebar.
4. Beside the “Sync Shift”, click on the “Turn on Sync” button.
5. You will be prompted to sign in - sign in using your Primary email from your current Shift account.
6. Voila! Shift will now recognize you as a paid user and you'll have access to Advanced features in Shift Browser. 

Trouble Logging in to the Account Portal? 

Trying to login to the Account Portal and having trouble? If you're a v9 user who has not yet downloaded or signed in to the new Shift Browser, then you need to continue to use the v9 Account Portal. You can access the portal here. 

Once you've signed into Shift Browser using your Primary email, the system will recognize your account and you will then be able to sign in to the Shift Browser Account Portal to manage your subscription, payment information, etc. 

How to setup your email connected Workspaces (now Spaces) 

With the launch of Shift Browser, we're changing the name from Workspaces to Spaces cause life online isn't only about work. But all the functionality you know and love from v9 have stayed the same (with some minor changes). 

The biggest change to Spaces is that you cannot create an email-connected Space anymore, rather you need to add an email app to your Space and set it as your Anchor App. Any app can be set as your anchor app, but if you'd like to recreate the same functionality as v9, then we recommend setting your Anchor Apps to email apps, such as Gmail, Outlook, or Microsoft. 

First: Add a Space to your Shift setup

1. Click the plus icon on your Spaces & Apps bar.
2. Select Add Space from the list of options.
3. The edit drawer will appear - Name your Space, select a Space color, a Theme color, and the Space icon.
4. Click Create Space to save. 

Second: Add the email app to your Space

1. Click on the Add Apps icon to open the App Library.
2. Search for the desired App in the search bar, for example: Gmail.
3. Click Add App.
4. Complete any additional setup in the edit modal and press Add App to save.

Finally: Set the email app as the Space's Anchor App

1. Find the app in your Shift setup by clicking on the Space you added it to.
2. Right-click on the app icon to reveal the options menu.
3. Select “Set as Anchor App” from the menu.
4. That’s it! Now, when you double-click the Space icon, you’ll jump straight to your Anchor App. 

Each Space can have it's own unique Anchor App set (only one Anchor App per Space, though), so just repeat this process for each Space. Log in to different email accounts to recreate the same effect as v9. 
 

Learn More + Provide Feedback

You can explore all new features and common questions in our Shift Browser Knowledge Base. If you decide to remain on version 9 for a while longer, you can still access all version 9 support articles in our Version 9 Knowledge Base. 

Have thoughts to share? We’d love your feedback during this transition. Reach out to us via our support request form.