57-420: 107.0.5045.11 (February 1, 2024 ; 9 months ago ( 2024-02-01 ) ) Opera is a multi-platform web browser developed by its namesake company Opera . The current edition of the browser is based on Chromium . Opera is available on Windows , macOS , Linux , Android , and iOS (Safari WebKit engine). Two mobile versions are still active, called Opera Mobile and Opera Mini . Opera also has
114-510: A Chromium -based browser. (Chromium is Google's open-source project that serves as the functional core of Chrome and many other browsers.) Now that Edge has the same API as Chrome, extensions can be installed directly from the Chrome Web Store. In 2015, Mozilla announced that the long-standing XUL and XPCOM extension capabilities of Firefox would be replaced with a less-permissive API very similar to Chrome's. This change
171-476: A Norwegian telecommunications company. In 1995, they founded Opera Software AS . Opera was initially released on 10 April 1995, and then it was released publicly in 1996 with version 2.10, which ran on Microsoft Windows 95 . Development for mobile device platforms started in 1998. Opera 4.0, released in 2000, included a new cross-platform core that facilitated the creation of editions of Opera for multiple operating systems and platforms. To this point, Opera
228-615: A Uniform Resource Locator (URL), such as https://en.wikipedia.org/ , into the browser. Virtually all URLs on the Web start with either http: or https: which means they are retrieved with the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). For secure mode (HTTPS), the connection between the browser and web server is encrypted , providing a secure and private data transfer. Web pages usually contain hyperlinks to other pages and resources. Each link contains
285-405: A bookmarks bar and a download manager . It also has "Speed Dial" which allows the user to add an unlimited number of pages shown in thumbnail form in a page displayed when a new tab is opened. Opera was one of the first browsers to support Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) in 1998. Opera Turbo, a feature that compresses requested web pages (except HTTPS pages) before sending them to the users,
342-419: A web server and then displays the page on the user's screen. Browsers are used on a range of devices, including desktops , laptops , tablets , and smartphones . By 2020, an estimated 4.9 billion people had used a browser. The most-used browser is Google Chrome , with a 67% global market share on all devices, followed by Safari with 18%. A web browser is not the same thing as a search engine , though
399-664: A Multithreaded Compositor was introduced, allowing the browser to function and render in animations much smoother than it was previously capable. Opera has originated features later adopted by other web browsers, including: Speed Dial, pop-up blocking, reopening recently closed pages, private browsing , and tabbed browsing . Additional features include a built-in screenshot tool, Snapshot, which also includes an image-markup tool; built-in ad blockers, and tracking blockers. Opera's desktop browser includes access to social media messaging apps WhatsApp , Telegram , Facebook Messenger , Twitter , Instagram , TikTok , and VK . Opera includes
456-446: A URL, and when it is clicked or tapped , the browser navigates to the new resource. Most browsers use an internal cache of web page resources to improve loading times for subsequent visits to the same page. The cache can store many items, such as large images, so they do not need to be downloaded from the server again. Cached items are usually only stored for as long as the web server stipulates in its HTTP response messages. During
513-522: A few years, Microsoft gained a dominant position in the browser market for two reasons: it bundled Internet Explorer with its popular Windows operating system and did so as freeware with no restrictions on usage. The market share of Internet Explorer peaked at over 95% in the early 2000s. In 1998, Netscape launched what would become the Mozilla Foundation to create a new browser using the open-source software model. This work evolved into
570-539: A model, permissions, and a common core of APIs". However, Google joined this during its overhaul of Chrome's extension API, known as Manifest V3 , which greatly reduces the capability of ad blockers and privacy -related extensions. Thus the WebExtensions group is viewed by some extension developers as nothing more than Google imposing its Manifest V3 design. Browser extensions typically have access to sensitive data, such as browsing history , and they have
627-517: A news aggregator app called Opera News with Aria, an AI -based search engine . Opera was first released on Monday, April 10th 1995, making it one of the oldest desktop web browsers to ever exist. It was commercial software for its first ten years and had its own proprietary layout engine, Presto . In 2013, it switched from the Presto engine to Chromium . In 2016, Opera, developed in Norway, became
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#1732793164460684-472: A non-custodial wallet with a dedicated browser for blockchain-enabled services and Web3 technologies. On 14 April 2022, Opera launched its Crypto Browser available on iOS devices. As of 2023, Opera Crypto Browser has been discontinued, with the browser's features being integrated into Opera and Opera GX. In 2023, Opera added an AI chatbot called Aria into the browser. This is powered by Opera's Composer AI engine and connects to OpenAI's GPT model. Opera GX
741-519: A shareable collection of websites, images, links, and notes in a visual form. A video popout feature was also added for video conferencing, which happens automatically when switching tabs, popping out of the window when navigating away and popping back in when navigating back. Later, in Opera 83 released on 19 January 2022, this feature would be implemented for all video players, not just video conferencing platforms. On 31 Jan 2023, Opera announced that given
798-462: A subsidiary of an investment group led by a Chinese consortium. In 2018, Opera Software went public on the NASDAQ stock exchange. By the end of 2022, the consortium sold all of its shares, and Opera in turn committed to repurchase all of its American Depository Shares to reestablish its corporate autonomy. As of the end of 2023, Opera Software was 72.4% owned by Kunlun, a Chinese public company, making it
855-481: A subsidiary of that company. Opera CEO James Yahui Zhou is a controlling shareholder in Kunlun. In 2019, Opera introduced Opera GX , a browser marketed towards gamers, claiming to have better performance with a built-in tracker and ad blocker and also having a CPU and RAM usage limiter. In 1994, Jon Stephenson von Tetzchner and Geir Ivarsøy started developing the Opera web browser while working at Telenor ,
912-548: A version of the Opera 9 web browser for use on the Nintendo Wii created by Opera Software and Nintendo. Opera Software is also implemented in the Nintendo DS Browser and Nintendo DSi Browser for Nintendo's handheld systems. Web browser A web browser is an application for accessing websites . When a user requests a web page from a particular website, the browser retrieves its files from
969-629: Is a software module for customizing a web browser . Browsers typically allow users to install a variety of extensions, including user interface modifications, cookie management, ad blocking , and the custom scripting and styling of web pages . Browser plug-ins are a different type of module and no longer supported by the major browsers. One difference is that extensions are distributed as source code , while plug-ins are executables (i.e. object code ). The most popular browser, Google Chrome , has over 100,000 extensions available but stopped supporting plug-ins in 2020. Internet Explorer
1026-501: Is a gaming-oriented alternative to Opera. The browser was announced on 21 May 2019 and released in early access for Windows on 11 June 2019, during E3 2019 . The macOS version was released in December of the same year. Opera GX adds features geared toward gamers and other audiences, with the regular Opera browser features included. The limiter allows users to limit network, CPU, and memory usage to preserve system resources. GX Cleaner
1083-572: Is a tool that is said to allow users to clear cache , cookies , and other unwanted files etc. The browser also adds integrations with other websites such as Twitch , Discord , Twitter , and Instagram . The browser also has a built-in page called the GX Corner, which combines gaming-related releases, deals, and news articles. On 5 September 2019, Opera won a Red Dot award in the Interface and User Experience Design category for Opera GX. Around
1140-522: Is no longer available on the desktop browser. Opera Turbo is available in Opera Mini , the mobile browser. One security feature is the option to delete private data, such as HTTP cookies , browsing history, items in cache and passwords with the click of a button. When visiting a site, Opera displays a security badge in the address bar which shows details about the website, including security certificates. Opera's fraud and malware protection warns
1197-554: Is significant for users accustomed to keyboard shortcuts . The most popular desktop browsers also have sophisticated web development tools . Web browsers are popular targets for hackers , who exploit security holes to steal information, destroy files , and other malicious activities. Browser vendors regularly patch these security holes, so users are strongly encouraged to keep their browser software updated. Other protection measures are antivirus software and being aware of scams . Browser extension A browser extension
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#17327931644601254-534: The Chromium project. Opera Software planned as well to contribute code to WebKit. On 3 April 2013, Google announced it would fork components from WebKit to form a new layout engine, Blink . That day, Opera Software confirmed it would follow Google in implementing Blink. On 28 May 2013, a beta release of Opera 15 was made available, the first version based on the Chromium project. Many distinctive Opera features of
1311-558: The Firefox browser, first released by Mozilla in 2004. Firefox's market share peaked at 32% in 2010. Apple released its Safari browser in 2003; it remains the dominant browser on Apple devices, though it did not become popular elsewhere. Google debuted its Chrome browser in 2008, which steadily took market share from Internet Explorer and became the most popular browser in 2012. Chrome has remained dominant ever since. By 2015, Microsoft replaced Internet Explorer with Edge for
1368-710: The Javanese alphabet ), was introduced with version 10.50. According to Opera Software, it made Opera 10.50 more than seven times faster in SunSpider than Opera 10.10. On 16 December 2010, Opera 11 was released, featuring extensions , tab stacking (where dragging one tab over another allowed creating a group of tabs), visual mouse gestures and changes to the address bar. Opera 12 was released on 14 June 2012. On 12 February 2013, Opera Software announced that it would drop its own Presto layout engine in favor of WebKit as implemented by Google's Chrome browser, using code from
1425-482: The Windows 10 release. Since the early 2000s, browsers have greatly expanded their HTML , CSS , JavaScript , and multimedia capabilities. One reason has been to enable more sophisticated websites, such as web apps . Another factor is the significant increase of broadband connectivity in many parts of the world, enabling people to access data-intensive content, such as streaming HD video on YouTube , that
1482-495: The developer build , then, depending on user feedback, may progress to the beta version and eventually be released . The developer stream allows early testing of new features, mainly targeting developers, extension creators, and early adopters. Opera developer is not intended for everyday browsing as it is unstable and is prone to failure or crashing, but it enables advanced users to try out new features that are still under development, without affecting their normal installation of
1539-663: The Android version of the Opera Web Browser. In March 2020, Opera updated its Android browser to access .crypto domains ( IPFS ), making it the first browser to be able to support a domain name system (DNS) which is not part of the traditional DNS directly without the need of a plugin or add-on. This was through a collaboration with a San Francisco based startup, Unstoppable Domains. In 2021 iOS and desktop versions have support for IPFS . In January 2022, Opera introduced Opera Crypto Browser into public beta, combining
1596-569: The ability to alter some browser settings, add user interface items, or replace website content. As a result, there have been instances of malware , so users need to be cautious about what extensions they install. There have also been cases of applications installing browser extensions without the user's knowledge , making it hard for the user to uninstall the unwanted extension. Some Google Chrome extension developers have sold their extensions to third-parties who then incorporated adware . In 2014, Google removed two such extensions from
1653-611: The average person. This, in turn, sparked the Internet boom of the 1990s, when the Web grew at a very rapid rate. The lead developers of Mosaic then founded the Netscape corporation, which released the Mosaic-influenced Netscape Navigator in 1994. Navigator quickly became the most popular browser. Microsoft debuted Internet Explorer in 1995, leading to a browser war with Netscape. Within
1710-442: The browser VPN operated as a web proxy rather than a VPN, meaning that it only secured connections made by the browser and not by any other apps on the computer. In 2018, a built-in cryptocurrency wallet for the Opera browser was released, with an announcement that Opera would be the first browser with such a feature. On 13 December 2018, Opera released a video showing many decentralized applications like Cryptokitties running on
1767-429: The browser aimed at those who play games. The early-access program was opened on 11 June 2019. On 24 June 2021, Opera 77, codenamed Opera R5, was released. As one of the larger updates to the browser, it added more music streaming services in the sidebar, integrating native support for Apple Music , Spotify , YouTube Music , Tidal , SoundCloud , and Gaana . The "Pinboards" feature was also added, letting users create
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1824-413: The browser towards a more minimal design, further improving the free VPN service, and was marketed as being the "World's first Web3 ready browser", as it included out of the box integrations with blockchain and cryptocurrency applications. On 21 May 2019, Opera GX is announced and opened for early access. The only information available in this announcement is that the browser would be a special version of
1881-426: The browser's subreddit , many users complained about the loud volume of the splash screen and that the splash screen could not be bypassed unless the execution file was deleted. Opera Software uses a release cycle consisting of three "streams", corresponding to phases of development, that can be downloaded and installed independently of each other: "developer", "beta", and "stable". New features are first introduced in
1938-410: The browser. New versions of the browser are released frequently, usually a few times a week. The beta stream, formerly known as "Opera Next", is a feature complete package, allowing stability and quality to mature before the final release. A new version is released every couple of weeks. Both streams can be installed alongside the official release without interference. Each has a different icon to help
1995-486: The built-in ad blocker to provide cryptocurrency mining protection that stops sites from running scripts that attempt to use the CPU to mine cryptocurrency. Additionally the browser added Chromecast support, VR support enhancements, saving pages as PDFs, and improved VPN performance with region-based locations rather than country-based. On 9 April 2019, Opera 60 was released. This version, codenamed Reborn 3, focused on moving
2052-485: The closure of 360 Security Technology Inc. that year. In January 2017, the source code of Opera 12.15, one of the last few versions still based on the Presto layout engine, was leaked. To demonstrate how radically different a browser could look, Opera Neon, dubbed a "concept browser", was released in January 2017. PC World compared it to demo models that automakers and hardware vendors release to show their visions of
2109-433: The course of browsing, cookies received from various websites are stored by the browser. Some of them contain login credentials or site preferences. However, others are used for tracking user behavior over long periods of time, so browsers typically provide a section in the menu for deleting cookies. Finer-grained management of cookies usually requires a browser extension . The first web browser, called WorldWideWeb ,
2166-535: The discontinuation of support for Windows 7 and 8.1 by Microsoft , Chromium based browsers are also ending support, so Opera will no longer get updates on those versions, but older versions will continue to function on those versions of Windows. On 22 March 2023, Opera and Opera GX incorporated features with AI-powered tools. These features include AI Prompts that are suggested to the user, and sidebar access to ChatGPT and ChatSonic. The prompts show up on sites that contain content like articles, offering to shorten
2223-416: The future. Instead of a Speed Dial Browsing feature it displays the frequently accessed websites in resemblance to a desktop with computer icons scattered over it in an artistic formation. On 10 May 2017, Opera 45 was released. Notably this was the last version of the browser compatible with 32-bit Linux distributions, with later versions requiring a 64-bit Linux distribution. This version, inspired by
2280-478: The mascot for the browser. On November 28 of the same year, Opera GX launched a new advertising campaign titled "Bury Boring", featuring actor and comedian Eric André smashing and burying computers not using Opera GX. The advertising campaign also included a splash screen whenever the browser is launched during the campaign with slashing sounds and André yelling out the browser's name. While well received by many of its user base, many criticized Opera GX's actions. In
2337-399: The previous Opera Neon design, was called "Opera Reborn" and which redoes parts of the user interface, such as adding light and dark modes, and integrates the messenger applications Facebook Messenger , WhatsApp , and Telegram . Additionally, new ad-blocking settings were added along with security changes. On 4 January 2018, Opera 50 was released. This version updated the browser to utilize
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2394-526: The previous versions were dropped, and Opera Mail was separated into a standalone application derived from Opera 12. In 2016, Opera was acquired by an investment group led by a Chinese consortium, the consortium included several Chinese companies such as Kunlun Tech and Qihoo 360. On July 27, 2018, Opera Software went public on the NASDAQ stock exchange, raising $ 115 million in its initial public offering . Opera began repurchasing its shares in 2022 following
2451-469: The same or very similar API due to the popularity of Google Chrome . Chrome was the first browser with an extension API based solely on HTML , CSS , and JavaScript . Beta testing for this capability began in 2009, and the following year Google opened the Chrome Web Store . As of June 2012, there were 750 million total installations of extensions and other content hosted on the store. In
2508-560: The same time, Opera GX also marked its first one million downloads. On 20 May 2021, a mobile version of Opera GX was released on iOS and Android . On 12 November of the same year, Opera GX Mobile was awarded another Red Dot award in both the Apps category and the Interface and User Experience Design : Mobile UIs category. On August 19, 2023, Opera GX introduced a VTuber named GX Aura for their social media accounts; she later became
2565-432: The same year, Chrome overtook Internet Explorer as the world's most popular browser, and its usage share reached 60% in 2018. Because of Chrome's success, Microsoft created a very similar extension API for its Edge browser, with the goal of making it easy for Chrome extension developers to port their work to Edge. But after three years Edge still had a disappointingly small market share, so Microsoft rebuilt it as
2622-546: The text or summarize them. On 20 June 2023, Opera launched Opera 100, codenamed Opera One, a version of the browser built from the ground up around AI which was unveiled on 25 April 2023. This browser includes a native AI called Aria, a GPT-based AI engine that was developed collaboratively with OpenAI that sifts through web information, generates text and code, and much more in the browser. Tab islands were also introduced, allowing browser tabs to be grouped together, bookmarked, collapsed, and more. Major UI changes were made, and
2679-508: The top four are made from different codebases . Safari , based on Apple 's WebKit code, is the second most popular web browser and is dominant on Apple devices, resulting in an 18% global share. Firefox , in fourth place, with about 3% market share, is based on Mozilla 's code. Both of these codebases are open-source, so a number of small niche browsers are also made from them. The most popular browsers share many features in common. They automatically log users' browsing history , unless
2736-414: The two are often confused. A search engine is a website that provides links to other websites. However, to connect to a website's server and display its web pages, a user must have a web browser installed. In some technical contexts, browsers are referred to as user agents . The purpose of a web browser is to fetch content and display it on the user's device. This process begins when the user inputs
2793-422: The user about suspicious web pages and is enabled by default. It checks the requested page against several databases of known phishing and malware websites, called blacklists. In 2016, a free virtual private network (VPN) service was implemented in the browser. Opera said that this would allow encrypted access to websites otherwise blocked, and provide security on public WiFi networks. It was later determined that
2850-619: The user distinguish between the variants. In 2005, Adobe Systems integrated Opera's rendering engine, Presto, into its Adobe Creative Suite applications. Opera technology was employed in Adobe GoLive , Adobe Photoshop , Adobe Dreamweaver , and other components of the Adobe Creative Suite . Opera's layout engine is also found in Virtual Mechanics SiteSpinner Pro. The Internet Channel is
2907-461: The users turn off their browsing history or use the non-logging private mode . They also allow users to set bookmarks , customize the browser with extensions , and can manage user passwords . Some provide a sync service and web accessibility features. Common user interface (UI) features: While mobile browsers have similar UI features as desktop versions, the limitations of touch screens require mobile UIs to be simpler. The difference
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#17327931644602964-546: Was trialware and had to be purchased after the trial period. With version 5.0, released in 2000, Opera became ad-sponsored , displaying ads to users who had not paid for it. Subsequent versions have given users the choice of seeing banner ads or targeted text ads from Google . With version 8.5, released in 2005, the ads were completely removed, and the browser's primary financial support came through revenue from Google (by contract, Opera's default search engine ). Among new features introduced in version 9.1, released in 2006,
3021-592: Was created in 1990 by Sir Tim Berners-Lee . He then recruited Nicola Pellow to write the Line Mode Browser , which displayed web pages on dumb terminals . The Mosaic web browser was released in April 1993, and was later credited as the first web browser to find mainstream popularity. Its innovative graphical user interface made the World Wide Web easy to navigate and thus more accessible to
3078-487: Was enacted in 2017. Firefox extensions are now largely compatible with their Chrome counterparts. Apple was the last major exception to this trend, but support for extensions conforming to the Chrome API was added to Safari for macOS in 2020. Extensions were later enabled in the iOS version for the first time. In 2021, these browser vendors formed a new W3C community group, called WebExtensions, to "specify
3135-552: Was fraud protection using technology from GeoTrust , a digital certificate provider, and PhishTank , an organization that tracks known phishing web sites. This feature was further expanded in version 9.5, when GeoTrust was replaced with Netcraft , and malware protection from Haute Secure was added. In 2006, Opera Software ASA was released as well as Nintendo DS Browser and Internet Channel for Nintendo's DS and Wii gaming systems, respectively, which were Opera-based browsers. A new JavaScript engine, called Carakan (after
3192-550: Was not possible during the era of dial-up modems . Google Chrome has been the dominant browser since the mid-2010s and currently has a 67% global market share on all devices. The vast majority of its source code comes from Google's open-source Chromium project; this code is also the basis for many other browsers, including Microsoft Edge , currently in third place with about a 5% share, as well as Samsung Internet and Opera in fifth and sixth places respectively with over 2% market share each. The other two browsers in
3249-576: Was the first major browser to support extensions, with the release of version 4 in 1997. Firefox has supported extensions since its launch in 2004. Opera and Chrome began supporting extensions in 2009, and Safari did so the following year. Microsoft Edge added extension support in 2016. In 2015, a community group formed under the W3C to create a single standard application programming interface (API) for browser extensions. While this particular work did not reach fruition, every major browser now has
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