Opera browser tips and tricks
We will talk about tips and tricks on the Opera browser that will help you:
1] Check Facebook and WhatsApp messages from the sidebar
It is probably the most useful feature of the Opera browser. If you often spend time to check Facebook and WhatsApp messages on your mobile while using a PC, you should find this functionality quite helpful. You do not need to download software or open a browser tab to get them. To get started with this feature, click on the corresponding icon, and set up your account.
2] Use My Flow
If you have Opera Touch app on your Android or iOS mobile, and you want to send stuff between your mobile and PC, you can use this option. It is called My Flow, and it requires a basic setup. The process is straightforward as you need to scan a QR code only. Following that, you will be able to send data from one device to another. In case you are getting this option on the left sidebar, you need to open Settings > Advanced > Features > My Flow and enable the toggle button.
3] Customize the start page
The start page or new tab page shows a lot of information that might not be useful for you. If so, you can show or hide different sections from the settings panel. For that, open Settings > Advanced > Browser. Here you can find a heading called Start page. Now, use the toggle buttons to show or hide specific things like search box, Speed Dial, Speed Dial suggestions, bigger tiles, etc. Read: How to disable Automatic Video Pop-Out in Opera
4] Enable Do Not Track
Almost all website administrators use different services to gather visitor statistics that include your browser name, language, operating system, etc. However, if you do not want to give that information, you can enable Do Not Track. For that, go to Settings > Advanced > Privacy & Security. From here, toggle the button that says Send a “Do Not Track” request with your browsing traffic. Read: Opera browser not opening or loading pages.
5] Smart text selection
When other browser doesn’t show anything after selecting a text, Opera offers some options to do more. For instance, if you select a phrase or word on any website, you can instantly find three options – Search, Copy, and Sent to My Flow. Then, you can use any of those options to get more information.
6] Edit screenshots
If you use the Opera browser, you do not need to install a screenshot editing extension in your browser. Opera provides in-built options so that you can capture and edit screenshots without leaving the browser. To get started, open any webpage that you want to capture, and click the Snapshot button that is visible in the address bar.
Now, you can use your mouse to select the region that you want to capture. After capturing, you can find some options to add different things, such as arrow, shape, text, emoji, etc.
At last, you can save the screenshot to your PC. Read: How to clear Cache, Cookies, Browsing History in Opera
7] Use in-built VPN
Opera browser comes with an in-built VPN so that you can unlock regionally blocked content without third-party software. To turn and use the in-built VPN, go to Settings > Advanced > Features and toggle the Enable VPN button.
After that, you should see a VPN text in the address bar while browsing websites.
8] Enable battery saver
If your browser is consuming a lot of battery, you might not like it when using the browser on a laptop. However, that should not be a problem with the Opera browser as it has in-built battery saver. It reduces the number of background processes so that users can use the browser for a little bit more time than usual. To enable this feature, you need to go to Settings > Advanced > Features and toggle the Enable battery saver button.
9] Import bookmarks and settings from another browser
It is possible to import bookmarks and settings from another browser such as Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, etc. To be precise, it is possible to import settings, browsing history, bookmarks, saved passwords, and cookies. To get started, navigate to Settings > Basic > Synchronization. Here you need to click on the option called Import bookmarks and settings.
After that, select the source browser, and make a tick that you want to import. At last, click the Import button. P.S. If you have an Opera account, you can visit the same place, and enter your account details to synchronize everything across multiple devices. Read: Opera GX vs Opera – Which is the better browser?
10] Search for text in all opened tabs
If you have opened ten or fifteen tabs in the Opera browser and you want to search for a text in all opened tabs. For that, press Ctrl+Space and start typing your text.
It shows the result as you type so that you can open the tab instantly. These are some of the best Opera browser tips and tricks for better browsing. I hope this will help you to get started with this browser. Read next: Edge Browser (Chromium) Tips and Tricks.