10 Life Hacks Every Opera Browser User Should Know

The Opera you use today is obviously very different from what it was decades ago. Perhaps the most significant change is that it’s a Chromium-based browser, meaning you can install Chrome extensions to fill in any missing features. However, the browser still maintains its core philosophy of providing useful integrated features, even if those options aren’t always obvious. From bypassing persistent YouTube ads to using a built-in volume booster for each tab, here are the best Opera hacks you should know:

Use the Early Bird feature to test experimental features before the official release.

If you’re up-to-date on the latest tech news, you can use Opera’s Early Bird feature to try out various experimental features. To do this, click the three-bar menu on the Opera toolbar, scroll down, and then select Go to full browser settings . Now, enable Early Bird , browse the list of features on the page, and enable the ones you want to try. At the time of writing, these features include Browser Connector, which connects the browser to ChatGPT or Claude, and Sharing Point, which adds a button for sending an Opera download link to your contacts. Please note that these features are subject to change or removal at any time.

Use the sidebar to replace social media and chat apps on your computer.

Opera has a sidebar that allows you to install “apps” directly into the browser. It supports ChatGPT, Gemini, Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Translate, WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, Bluesky, music streaming services, and several other apps. These services are pinned to the left panel and function just like their corresponding apps. Think of them as pinned tabs in the browser, neatly arranged in the left panel. I used the sidebar to launch Apple Music, several messaging apps, and Gmail, which is easier than using the same services in different apps.

Of course, the sidebars of these services don’t always have all the features of full desktop apps (for example, downloading music to Spotify), but overall, the implementation is quite good. Apps in the sidebar appear in a floating Opera window, and you can pin this window to your screen if you wish. You can customize the Opera sidebar by clicking the three-dot button in the lower-left corner of the screen.

Use split screen mode to multitask between tabs.

Opera lets you open two tabs simultaneously for improved multitasking. To get started, right-click the inactive tab on the tab bar and select “Create Split Screen.” This will place that tab, along with the active tab, in split-screen mode. I find this useful for research: for example, you could open a lecture in the main tab and a search engine, AI service, or note-taking app in the second tab. In split-screen mode, you can continue reading or viewing content in the main tab while using the secondary tab for quick research or note-taking.

Use the Skip Video feature to quickly skip unskippable ads.

Opera supports bypassing persistent video ads on various websites, including YouTube. When you watch a video in Opera and an ad starts playing, you’ll see a small “Fast Forward” button at the top of the video. Clicking it will instantly skip you to the end of the ad, though you may still need to click the “Skip” button on YouTube. If you’re using an ad-free plan on your streaming service, you can disable the “Skip Video” button in videos by going to Opera Settings > Video . From there, disable the “Skip Video” button for all supported videos .

Make PiP windows semi-transparent for multitasking while watching videos.

I often watch videos in picture-in-picture (PiP) mode while browsing the web, but I find it annoying to constantly move the window to avoid obscuring the text on the screen. Opera has a useful feature to address this: it lets you adjust the transparency of PiP windows, making them translucent enough to avoid interfering with your workflow. To enable this feature for all PiP videos, go to Opera Settings > Video and turn on “Make pop-up window transparent.” If you prefer to do this manually for each video, start playing the video, then tap the “Pop-up window” button at the top of the video to switch it to PiP mode. Finally, tap the “Transparency” button in the upper left corner of the PiP video.

Disable unnecessary AI features to optimize your browser.

Like most modern tech companies, Opera uses a variety of artificial intelligence features in its browser. Fortunately, most of them are easy to disable. Go to Opera Settings > Opera AI , then disable Opera AI and ChatGPT in the sidebar . This will also remove the AI ​​button from the browser toolbar. Finally, you can click the three dots in the lower-left corner of the Opera window and uncheck ChatGPT and Gemini .

Use the volume boost feature to fine-tune the volume.

Opera allows you to adjust the volume level per tab, whereas most other browsers require an extension. When playing media in any Opera tab, hover your mouse over the relevant tab and you’ll see a floating menu with a volume slider. This allows you to set the volume from 0 to 500%, which is great for low-volume audio sources. You can also use this feature to play music at a lower volume while listening to a lecture or podcast.

Enable hidden enhanced privacy mode.

Opera has a hidden Enhanced Privacy mode that blocks trackers while you browse the web. You can enable it via Chrome Flags: enter opera://flags in the address bar and open the page. Then use the search bar to find the “Enhanced Privacy Settings” section . Use the drop-down menu next to this feature and select “Enabled.” Restart Opera, then go to Opera Settings > Privacy & Security . Scroll down and enable “Enhanced Privacy Protection.” Note that this may disrupt some websites, but I’ve been using it for several days without any noticeable negative effects.

Setting up advanced keyboard shortcuts

Opera has several hidden keyboard shortcuts that bind actions to a single button, rather than the usual two- or three-key combinations. You can go to Opera Settings > Options > Keyboard Shortcuts and enable “Enable advanced keyboard shortcuts” to use the following shortcuts:

• Press 1 to switch between tabs to the left.

• Press 2 to switch between tabs.

• Press / to use the “search within page” feature.

• Press Z to go back.

• Press X to move forward.

• Press 0 (zero) on Windows/Linux or + on Mac to zoom in.

• Press 8 to zoom in (in 100% increments).

• Press 9 on Windows/Linux or – on Mac to zoom out.

• Press 7 to zoom out (in 100% increments).

• Press 6 to return to 100% zoom.

• Press Ctrl-` (tilde key) to go to the previous tab you clicked on.

Use Opera’s screenshot tool to save and share web pages.

Opera has a powerful Screenshot tool that lets you capture the visible portion of a page, the entire webpage, or save the page as a PDF. I usually ignore all browser screenshot tools, preferring to use the operating system’s tools or third-party apps, but Opera’s is excellent. After taking a 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 and then choose one of the available options. You can choose “Take a screenshot of the visible page” to capture the webpage visible on your screen, “Take a screenshot of the entire page” to capture the entire site without scrolling, or “Save page as 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.

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