Pricing and Availability
Q: Do I need to pay to access new features?
A: No. All Vertical Tabs features remain free forever. Public releases typically occur 3-6 months after beta testing, though timing may vary due to development schedules and bug fixes.
Q: How do I subscribe or unsubscribe?
A: All subscriptions are managed through my Ko-fi page. You can unsubscribe at any time and will continue receiving updates until your next billing cycle.
Q: Can I continue using the beta versions after unsubscribing?
A: Yes! An active subscription is only required to receive new beta versions. You can continue using any installed beta versions on your devices until the public release becomes available. If you want to use the received beta version on a new device, you’ll need to manually copy or sync it to that device.
Q: Is there a student discount?
A: Currently, no student discount is available. However, all Vertical Tabs features remain completely free in the public version, which receives updates 3-6 months after beta testing.
Beta Testing Process
Q: How does beta testing work?
A: After subscribing, you’ll receive an email with a unique access token. Keep this token private and don’t share it with others. The Beta Helper plugin automatically downloads and updates beta versions when available.
Q: What is the Beta Helper plugin?
A: The Beta Helper is a companion plugin that manages beta version downloads and updates. It’s open source and can be installed manually or automatically through the BRAT plugin (by @TfTHacker).
Q: Why is the Beta Helper plugin needed?
A: The Beta Helper plugin is highly recommended but not required. While you can download and install beta versions manually, the Beta Helper automates version management and provides crucial downgrade capabilities. Manual installation only supports upgrades—downgrading requires handling inconsistent settings and internal data structures. The Beta Helper solves this by automatically converting settings and creating backups when switching between versions. If you encounter issues with the latest beta, you can downgrade to any previous version with a single click, ensuring your settings and personalizations remain consistent across all installed versions.
Q: Can I download beta versions manually without the Beta Helper plugin?
A: Yes. To download the latest beta build manually, enter your access token in the field below and click the download button:
Please paste your access token above
Development and Open Source
Q: Does this make Vertical Tabs closed source?
A: No. Vertical Tabs remains fully open source. After beta testing, feedback collection, and bug fixes, all features are released publicly with source code available on GitHub. The Beta Helper plugin is also open source.
Q: I’m a plugin/theme developer. Can I test beta versions without subscribing?
A: Yes. Please open an issue with your request. I’ll review it and provide a free access token for development purposes.
Usage and Licensing
Q: Can I use Vertical Tabs Beta for my team or at work?
A: Beta access is licensed per user. You can use it for any personal or work projects, but each team member needs their own subscription.
Q: Can I use Vertical Tabs Beta on multiple devices?
A: Yes. Use the same access token across all your devices, or simply sync your plugin settings.
Q: Is there a device limit?
A: No device limit exists. However, token sharing or malicious activities (such as server flooding) will result in token revocation.
Security and Privacy
Q: Will my access token expire?
A: Tokens are tied to your email and require an active subscription. If you resubscribe, your token is automatically re-enabled. Compromised tokens will be revoked and cannot be renewed.
Q: I have concerns about security and privacy. What data does the beta program collect?
A: Security and privacy are top priorities. The Beta Helper plugin communicates with the beta program infrastructure hosted at vertical-tabs-prod.oxdc.dev to verify your access token and download updates. No personal data, vault contents, or device information is collected or transmitted. Additionally, there is absolutely no client-side telemetry or usage tracking. Your access token is stored locally in Obsidian’s plugin settings and is only used for authentication. All communications use HTTPS encryption. Email notifications are delivered via Resend. Beta builds include reproducible build verification—see Verifying Reproducible Beta Builds for independent verification instructions. For complete details, please review Security and Privacy Policy.
Q: What security features are implemented in beta versions?
A: Beta versions include enhanced security measures not present in stable versions:
- Reproducible Builds: Ensures identical source code produces identical binaries, enabling independent verification. Once the source code is published, anyone can verify that previously received beta builds were generated from that exact code without backdoors or malicious modifications. For detailed verification instructions, see Verifying Reproducible Beta Builds.
- File Integrity and Digital Signatures: SHA-256 hashes and Ed25519 cryptographic signatures verify files remain unmodified after signing and confirm builds originate from the official developer, preventing attacks that attempt to replace or tamper with code during distribution.
- Extended Manifest: Contains timestamps and security metadata for comprehensive verification and audit trails.
Q: Why are these additional security measures necessary?
A: These features are essential because beta builds are distributed through private channels outside Obsidian’s official plugin store, which provides automatic security review. These measures compensate for the lack of centralized security validation by enabling users to independently verify that beta builds are authentic, unmodified, and originate from the legitimate developer. Advanced users can perform this verification using the process detailed in Verifying Reproducible Beta Builds.
Q: I received a security warning about modified files. What should I do?
A: If you have modified the plugin’s code or CSS files, a security warning will appear in Settings. Here’s what to do:
- For CSS styling: Use Obsidian’s CSS snippets instead. Go to Settings → Appearance → CSS snippets, create a new
.cssfile in the snippets folder, and add your custom styles there. This approach is safer and won’t trigger security warnings. - For code modifications: It is strongly discouraged to modify the plugin code directly. Please report the issue or feature request through the GitHub repository instead. If you must proceed with modifications, you can disable the warning through the Beta Helper plugin settings, but this may expose your installation to security risks. Note: If you choose to ignore or disable this warning, you are responsible for your own security and any potential consequences.
Troubleshooting
Q: My access token isn’t working. What should I do?
A: Check that your subscription is active and the token is correctly copied. If issues persist, contact me through Ko-fi or GitHub.
Q: I’m not receiving beta updates. What’s wrong?
A: Ensure the Beta Helper plugin is properly installed and configured with your access token. Check that your subscription is active.
Q: Can I switch between beta and stable versions?
A: Yes. To switch back to the stable version, disable the Beta Helper plugin in your Community Plugins settings and reinstall Vertical Tabs from the Community Plugins store. To return to beta, simply re-enable the Beta Helper plugin. Note that plugin settings are not preserved when switching between versions due to compatibility differences.