The Opera you use today is obviously very different from the browser it was decades ago. Perhaps the most notable change is that it’s a Chromium-based browser, which means you can install Chrome extensions to fill in any features you’re missing. That said, the browser still maintains its core philosophy of shipping useful integrated features — even if those options aren’t always obvious. From bypassing unskippable YouTube ads to using the built-in volume booster for every tab, here are the best Opera hacks you should know about:
Use “Early Bird” to try experimental features before release
If you live on the bleeding edge of tech, you can use Opera’s “early bird” to try out all kinds of experimental features. To do so, click the three-line menu in Opera’s toolbar, scroll down, then select Go to full browser settings. Now, enable it Early BirdGo through the list of features on the page and enable the one you want to try. At the time of writing, these features include Browser Connector, which connects the browser to ChatGPT or the cloud, and Sharing Point, which adds a button to share an Opera download link with your contacts. Note that these features may be changed or removed at any time.
Opera has a sidebar that lets you install “apps” into your browser. It supports ChatGPT, Gemini, Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Translate, WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, Bluesky, music streaming services and some more apps. These services are pinned to the left pane and function like their corresponding apps. You can think of these as pinned tabs in your browser, neatly stacked in the left pane. I’ve used the sidebar to run Apple Music, some Messenger apps, and Gmail, which is easier to track than the same services in separate apps.
Of course, the sidebar versions of these services don’t always have all the features that proper desktop apps do (eg, music downloads on Spotify), but the overall implementation is pretty good. Sidebar apps appear in floating windows in Opera, and you can pin that window to the screen if you want. You can customize the Opera sidebar by clicking the three-dots button in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
Use split screen mode for multitasking between tabs
You can open two tabs simultaneously in Opera for improved multitasking. To start, right-click on an inactive tab in the tab bar and select Create a split screen. This will put that tab, as well as the active tab, into split-screen view. I find this helpful for research: for example, you can open a lecture in the main tab and open a search engine, an AI service, or the Notes app in another tab. In split-screen view, you can continue reading or viewing content on the main tab while using secondary tabs to quickly view information or take notes.
Use “Video Skip” to zip past unskippable ads
Credit: Pranaya Parab
Opera supports bypassing non-skippable video ads on various sites, including YouTube. When you watch a video in Opera and an ad starts playing, you’ll see a small forward button at the top of the video. When you click it, the browser will immediately take you to the end of the ad, although you’ll still have to press YouTube’s “Skip” button. If you’re on the ad-free tier of your streaming services, you can prevent the video skip button from appearing on videos by going to Opera Settings > Video. From here, disable Show video skip button on all supported videos.
Make PiP window translucent for multitasking while watching videos
I often watch videos in picture-in-picture (PiP) mode when I’m browsing the web or working, but I get annoyed when I have to move the window around to keep the text from blurring on my screen. Opera has a useful feature to overcome this problem: it lets you adjust the opacity of PiP windows, and you can make them translucent enough to avoid disrupting your workflow. To enable this for all PiP videos, go to Opera Settings > Videoand enable Make the pop out transparent. If you want to do this manually for each video, start playing the video, then click the pop-out button at the top of the video to send it to PiP mode. Finally, click the transparency button in the upper left corner of the PiP mode video.
Disable unwanted AI features to streamline your browser
Like most tech companies these days, Opera has a bunch of AI features in its browser. Fortunately, you can easily disable most of them. go to Opera Settings > Opera AIThen disable it Opera AI And ChatGPT in the sidebar. This also removes the AI button from the browser’s toolbar. Finally, you can click and uncheck the three dots in the lower-left corner of the Opera window. ChatGPT And Gemini.
What do you think so far?
Use Volume Booster for granular volume controls
Opera ships with a way to control the volume level on each tab, a feature that requires an extension on most other browsers. When you play media in any tab in Opera, hover your mouse over the corresponding tab, and you’ll see a floating menu with a volume slider. This lets you set the volume from 0 all the way to 500%, which can be great for audio sources with low volume levels. You can also use this feature to play music at low volume while listening to lectures or podcasts.
Enable hidden enhanced privacy mode
Credit: Pranaya Parab
Opera has a hidden enhanced privacy mode, which blocks trackers while you’re browsing the web. You can enable this via the Chrome flags: type opera://flag in the address bar and open the page. Then, use the search bar to search Advanced Privacy Settings section. Use the drop-down menu next to the feature and select capable of. Restart Opera, then go to Opera Settings > Privacy & Security. Scroll down and enable Enhanced privacy protection. Note that this may break the functionality of some websites, but I’ve been using it for a few days with no significant negative effects.
Set advanced keyboard shortcuts
Opera has a few hidden keyboard shortcuts that link actions to one button instead of the usual two or three key combinations. you can go Opera Settings > Features > Shortcutsand turn on Enable advanced keyboard shortcuts To use the following keyboard shortcuts:
-
Press 1 To cycle left through the list of tabs.
-
Press 2 To cycle directly through the list of tabs.
-
press / To use the “Find on Page” feature.
-
Press Z to go back.
-
Press X to go further.
-
Press 0 (zero). On Windows/Linux or + On Mac to zoom in.
-
Press 8 To zoom further (in increments of 100%).
-
Press 9 On Windows/Linux or – On Mac to zoom out.
-
Press 7 To zoom out further (in increments of 100%).
-
Press 6 To return to 100% zoom.
-
Press Ctrl-` (tilde button). To go to the previous tab you clicked.
Use Opera’s screenshot tool to save and share webpages
Opera has a powerful snapshot tool that you can use to take a screenshot of a visible page, an entire webpage, or save a page as a PDF. I usually ignore all browser screenshot tools in favor of OS options or third-party apps, but Opera’s screenshot tool is solid. After capturing the screenshot, the app opens a preview window where you can make basic edits and annotations. To use this tool, click the Camera button in the toolbar, then select one of the available options. You can choose Capture the visible page To take a snapshot of a webpage displayed on the screen, Capture the entire page To take a screenshot of the entire site without scrolling, or Save the page as a PDF To save the screenshot as a PDF. You can also take a cropped screenshot if you want to capture only a specific section of the page.
