Oslo – More than ever, millions of people are relying on the web to work remotely, as well as to keep themselves informed, entertained and connected to the world. However, the increased internet use can slow down network connections.
Today, Opera (NASDAQ: OPRA) is announcing new improvements to its flagship Android browser (Opera for Android) which, along with existing features such as the popular built-in ad blocker, provide people with smoother browsing even on congested and thus slower networks.
Limit your data usage to browse smoothly
Opera for Android comes with a very useful data savings feature. Presently, networks are under stress and some of us are experiencing slower connections due to the sheer volume of traffic. The European commission has successfully urged Netflix and other streaming services to switch from HD streaming to SD in times of peak demand as we stay home.
Opera allows users to limit their network bandwidth use by switching on data savings mode in their settings. This allows them to load pages more easily and quickly, while using less data. To let users monitor the data savings, Opera has now placed a data savings badge on the left of the address bar, where everyone can see how much data has been saved as well as switch it off – if need be. The badge appears once data savings mode has been switched on in settings, and will stick around as long as data savings are enabled, or until the next browsing session.
“Since last year we’ve introduced more than 100 improvements to our Android browser, making it the most powerful browser one can choose to install on an Android device. We are now making it more convenient to use our data savings feature to allow users to speed up their browsing and save more of their data package,” said Stefan Stjernelund, product manager of Opera for Android. “Opera’s Android browser is a powerhouse which offers a set of unique, built-in features – including an ad blocker, a built-in VPN and a crypto wallet.”
To speed up browsing on congested networks, Opera recommends switching on the ad blocking function, which speeds up page loading. Opera’s ad blocker is publisher-friendly, allowing people to bypass it on their favorite websites and thus support content creators.
“You can use these features to limit your bandwidth usage: either because you would like to smoothen your own browsing or to simply leave more network bandwidth for others,” added Stjernelund.
Improved offline pages
After a day of browsing for work, it’s sometimes good to disconnect and switch the phone to airplane mode. Evenings, when we’re not allowed to go out, are a good moment to catch up on long articles that we didn’t have time to read during the day. With this version of its Android browser, Opera is introducing an improved offline pages experience, which allows users to save any website for offline reading. This means the offline pages section can become a collection of articles or websites we can engage with distraction-free in Airplane mode. It’s also a feature which will become handy once air travel is fully possible again.
Android users now also have the option to customize the storage location for their offline pages. This means no more space issues for those whose internal storage is full, but who have plenty of space on an external card. Having access to the physical file location also means that they can move offline pages freely between devices with simple file operations.
Quicker Speed Dial access
A long time ago, Opera pioneered the concept of Speed Dials, giving everyone faster access to their favorite pages. When studying user patterns, Opera developers have seen that users still gravitate towards using the address bar when they are not on the start page, and often type more than they need in order to reach their frequently visited sites. With this version of its Android browser, Opera is introducing autocompletion for Speed Dials, meaning that once users starts typing a word that matches the URL or title of their Speed Dial item, it will be autocompleted directly in the address bar, enabling them to simply tap go, without having to explicitly pick a suggestion from the drop-down list.
Easy crypto purchases around the world
The newest Opera for Android release also includes some updates to the browser’s native crypto wallet, dApp explorer and Web 3 browsing capabilities. Since December 2018, Opera has been the only truly blockchain-ready web browser.
After having introduced the feature in its native Scandinavia and later in the US, Opera now allows for easy crypto wallet top-ups around the world.
Opera now also supports IPFS, decentralized “cloudless storage” and .crypto domain addresses through a partnership with Unstoppable domains, which allows for the easy naming of crypto wallet addresses. For more on the updates to Opera’s Crypto Wallet.
Less than six weeks ago, Opera for Android introduced an improved reader mode, which has been well-received by its millions of users around the world. Moreover, Opera for Android has also added more than 100 features, both big and small, making it the most powerful browser available in app stores today. These features include a free and unlimited VPN (Virtual private network), an improved ad blocker, a cookie dialog blocker and an integrated crypto wallet that allows users to access Web 3 as well as conduct transactions with the most popular cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and TRON.
The browser of choice for millions of people
The Opera browser for Android is a leading challenger browser, and is the choice for millions of people worldwide who prefer Opera over the more simple default browsers. In the last half of 2019, the browser increased its monthly active user base by forty percent globally year-over-year. The Opera browser for Android has also registered more than three million reviews in Google Play with people giving it an average 4.6 star rating.
Download Opera for Android from Google Play.
About Opera
Opera is a global web innovator. Opera’s browsers, news products and fintech solutions are the trusted choice of more than 360 million people worldwide. Opera is headquartered in Oslo, Norway and listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange (OPRA).