Oslo, Norway – 6 May, 2025 – Opera, the Norwegian browser maker, is introducing a new tab management system to its flagship browser for Android. With Version 89, Opera for Android users will have access to new tab gallery layouts that come with new features, including options for customization, the introduction of Tab Islands, and the ability to search for open tabs, reopen recently closed tabs, or mute them altogether. Today’s update makes Opera the leading mobile browser for tab management, giving Android users comprehensive tools to organize their tabs without feeling overwhelmed.
“Many of our users love tabs and have been requesting new ways of working with them. As always, we’ve listened carefully and are following through today by releasing the most comprehensive tab management system of any mobile browser,” said Stefan Stjernelund, VP of Product, Opera for Android
Thirty years of tab innovation
Opera has been making web browsers for thirty years, during which the question of how to organize different layers of information has always been subject to innovation. That’s why Opera was the first one to introduce tabs in the browser back in 1996, when it was called Multiple Document Interface. And later, in the year 2000, Opera introduced the Tabbed Document Interface that is currently known as tabs.
Opera continues to innovate new ways in which users can interact with the web. A recent study conducted by Opera showed that over 15% of Android users have at least fifteen tabs open at any given time, while more than 25% of Opera users on the platform keep thirty or more tabs open. Based on these findings, Opera has designed a comprehensive new system for mobile tab management to help users better organize their tabs while on the go.
The best tab management system out there: what’s new?
Opera for Android 89 introduces the best tab management system for Android devices. It provides users with the most features that together offer the most comprehensive tab management experience for both tab hoarders and minimalists alike.
Users will be able to choose between three different tab layouts – carousel, grid, and list – to find the configuration that best suits their browsing preferences. They can quickly change the layout of their tabs by pressing the button on the far left of the redesigned tab gallery menu.
Additionally, this update sees the arrival of Tab Islands in Opera for Android. This feature lets users manually group tabs by long pressing any tab and then dragging it on top of another. Once a Tab Island is created, it can be renamed and also moved around within the new tab layout.
Tab Islands are also created automatically when a user long presses a link in a webpage to open a new tab, thereby grouping the tabs in a contextual way. Users can therefore open several tabs without generating clutter within their mobile browser, as Opera for Android maintains order more effectively than before.
With this update, users will also be able to quickly access all recently closed tabs and restore them if needed. To do so, they can tap on the recently closed tabs button in the tab gallery (the second one to the left), and then swipe right on the webpage or Tab Island they want to restore; the recently closed tabs feature shows users their last one hundred closed tabs.
Opera for Android version 89 additionally includes a feature that lets users search for any specific tab from the tab gallery. They can do this by tapping the magnifying glass icon in the top right corner and typing the webpage’s name or something related to it. This makes it easier for users to quickly find the exact tab they are looking for when they have several of them open at once.
Finally, this update introduces a feature that lets users mute a specific tab – this means that they can silence a tab instead of having to shut down the audio from their device entirely. To mute a tab, users can simply press the speaker button that appears on the tab gallery on all the tabs that are currently playing audio.
Together, these features represent a tab management system that’s unique to Opera, and that Android users can now access by downloading the browser here.
About Opera for Android
Opera for Android is Opera’s flagship mobile browser. Focused on power and security, the browser enables you to peruse the web more quickly and privately, offering features such as free AI tool Aria, free VPN and VPN Pro as well as built-in ad blocker and tracker blocker. Opera for Android has a 4.8 star rating on Google Play, and has been downloaded by more than 100 million users worldwide