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OPERA DESKTOP
20 year edition: Opera 42 ships with new gifts
Krystian Kolondra / December 13, 2016
This year, we celebrate 20 years of making a browser. 2016 has been a big year for Opera, one in which we have been able to make the browser a lot better. There is no better way to complete such an amazing year than bringing you a new version with a very special number. Opera 42 debuts today with some new gifts.
Built-in currency converter
Opera is now the first of the major browsers to add a built-in currency converter. It makes it easy to check what items cost, and is ready to improve the way people shop online.
Cross-border e-commerce is booming all around the world. According to research, within four years, 45% of online shoppers worldwide will purchase products from foreign online stores. There are many countries, in which more than 50% of people do it already.
With these trends, the use of online currency converters has become one of the most common needs – and greatest sources of frustration – when looking for products, as until now, no other browser has offered a built-in currency converter. Today, Opera becomes the first to offer this smart solution.
To use the currency converter, simply select the price you want to convert on the page and Opera will automatically show it in your local currency. You can also change your output currency in the browser settings. Opera 42 supports conversion in 32 currencies based on daily values from the European Central Bank.
Even smarter and faster startup
Opera’s faster startup mechanism works even better in Opera 42. We now take into account which tabs were most recently used before you quit Opera, instead of relying on the order of tabs to determine which ones to load on startup.
Easy to add news feeds from websites
Opera’s personal newsreader has been given a fresh, new look and now offers an easier way to discover feeds. If a page publishes a web feed, a little newspaper icon will appear in the address bar. Simply click it and then select one to open. If you find it interesting, you can always add it to your existing sources. We want to keep the address bar as clean as possible, so this feature is disabled by default. To enable it, go to Settings (Preferences) > Browser > Personal news > Show available news feeds on address bar and check the checkbox.
Opera 42.0.2393.94 Stable update
Kornelia Mielczarczyk
Dec 20, 2016
Hi,
it’s a quick Stable update due to some Mac and Linux crashes we’ve found. We’ve also updated Chromium to version 55.0.2883.87.
Full changelog.
Opera Stable 42.0.2393.137 update
Kornelia Mielczarczyk
Jan 18, 2017 50 comments
Hi,
It’s yet another quick Stable update due to some Mac crashes we’ve found. We have also fixed Chinese font issue on Linux.
Full changelog.
Opera Stable 42.0.2393.351 update
Grzegorz Miazga
Jan 24, 2017 Comments
Hi,
Stable Opera update:
– We have re-enabled the possibility to install Opera with x64 architecture.
Full changelog.
Opera 43 squeezes page loading time to its limits
Today, we are bringing you Opera 43, the fastest version ever, with instant page loading and Profile Guided Optimization (PGO) on board.
Speed is what matters most
Since web content is getting heavier and heavier, web browsers need to load pages faster and faster to keep up with user expectations.
Last year, we sped up Opera with features like native ad-blocking, page-load speed optimization, and faster start-up. Now, with instant page loading and PGO, we’re giving it another boost that will squeeze loading time.
How instant page loading works
Instant page loading is a technology that predicts which website you’re typing the address for. Once recognised, it begins loading the site in the background even before you hit enter.
Instant page loading becomes smarter over time by learning which URL inputs led to a specific website. For example, if you type “nyt.com” on multiple occasions, it will learn from this and begin loading the New York Times in the background. In addition, when you search for something in the address bar, it will load the results likely to be clicked in the background.
Opera can predict what page a user is going to load not only from its behavior, but also when the current page uses the < link rel=prerender … > tag.
PGO for Windows
Another performance feature to land in the latest Opera version is Profile Guided Optimization (PGO). PGO is a compiler technique able to make software running on Windows significantly faster. With PGO, we can teach the compiler what usage scenarios are important so that Opera can perform those tasks even faster, using even less CPU.
PGO optimizes the most important parts of the browser, and brings some significant speed improvements. With this technology, startup is 13% faster*. Also, the browser engine has gotten a performance boost, confirmed by several benchmarks such as Speedometer (60.3% improvement compared to Opera 42), JetStream (7.7%), and Octane (3.35%)**.
Test results on Speedometer after PGO. Higher score is better.
Classic link selection
In addition, Opera 43 brings you classic link selection. With this feature, you are able select text in the link without triggering the link. Using classic link selection is really simple:
– Use horizontal click-and-drag to select the text.
– Use vertical click-and-drag to drag the link.
Download Opera 43 with instant page loading, and let us know what you think.
*These results are from a computer running Windows 7 x32 using an i7-4600 CPU locked at 2.1GHz. In the startup tests, Opera was stored on an HDD. We’ve compared x32 build number 43.0.2442.686 (PGO) and 42.0.2393.78.
**These results are from a computer running Windows 10 x64 using an i7-6500U CPU. We’ve compared x32 build number 43.0.2442.686 (PGO) and 42.02393.78.
Opera Stable 43.0.2442.991 update
Hi,
Today, we have a Stable Opera update with fixes for:
– QUIC memory leak
– Layout issues on Mac older than 10.12
Chromium is also updated to version 56.0.2924.87.
Take a look at the full changelog here.
Opera Stable 43.0.2442.1144 update
Feb 28, 2017 (27)
Hi,
Today, we have a Stable Opera update with fixes for:
Take a look at the full changelog here
- The pinned shortcut not being removed when uninstalling WoW64 and having unused pins on Win7.
- Broken animations when opening popups on Mac.
Opera 44 goes final with support for Apple’s new Touch Bar
Mar 21, 2017 (67)
Today, Opera becomes the first major browser after Apple’s Safari to introduce support for the Touch Bar in a final version.
How you can browse with Touch Bar
Opera’s implementation of Touch Bar enables contextual actions such as going back, focusing the address field, and navigating through Speed Dials. The most interesting feature for most of you will probably be navigating through multiple tabs as you slide your finger across the website icons. Icons have different colors and backgrounds, giving you a nice-looking and distinguishable overview of your tabs.
When we first saw the Touch Bar, we immediately recognized how it could be useful for the browser, allowing people to switch tabs without lifting their eyes from the keyboard to the tab bar on top of the screen. We were surprised to find Safari’s implementation to show tiny thumbnails of web pages in the relatively small touchbar area.
Under the hood
Opera 44 features our own tuned-up version of Chromium 57. This adds support for CSS Grid Layout and WebAssembly which we believe has the potential to bring browser games to the next level. Try one out Link Removed.
Also from Chromium, the new background tab throttling has been added, providing additional energy consumption reductions to the battery saver feature introduced to Opera in May 2016.
Opera 44 also adds support for the Credential Management API. This gives users a simpler sign-in process across devices and provides websites with more control over the usage of credentials. The website can use password-based sign-ins via this API. Once logged in, users will be automatically signed back into a site, even if their session has expired.
Thanks you for all the feedback and support! We hope you will enjoy browsing with this new version of Opera!
Installation links:
Opera 44.0.2510.1218 Stable update
Hello,
Today’s update brings a fix for the out of memory bug when using VPN. It was very important for us to bring it quickly, and it has been applied to all streams of the Opera browser.
Besides that, you’ll find a fix for a window redraw issue when resizing a new tab in Opera.
The changelog contains full list of changes.
Installation links:
Opera is Reborn
Krystian Kolondra
May 10, 2017
Over the last year, we have introduced a series of new features such as free VPN and native ad blocking. Earlier this year we also presented Opera Neon, a concept browser that gave you a glimpse into the future of desktop browsers.
Now, the best parts of Neon are being brought to the new Opera browser, codenamed Reborn.
It’s time to rethink the browser
Social messengers completely changed our lives, by allowing us to work, discover new things and communicate at the same time. This shift has come with smartphones, but desktops and laptops, while theoretically more powerful multitasking tools, have been left behind.
Browsing and chatting simultaneously is cumbersome and inefficient now, as you need to switch between tabs when responding to a message. We believe this needs to change. That’s why we bring you Opera Reborn, the first browser to allow messengers to reside within your browser, without the need to install any extensions or apps.
From Neon to Reborn
Opera Neon, released in January, is an experimental browser that envisions the future of web browsers, similar to the way concept cars predict the future of automobiles. One of its novelties is the ability to seamlessly hop between discovering new content and chatting with friends, or even share online discoveries while browsing.
Inspired by Neon, we decided to bring those seamless transitions between chat and discoveries to the Opera browser. The result is Opera Reborn, complete with integrated popular messengers so you can keep chatting with friends without skipping a beat.
Chat with your friends while browsing
The included messengers are Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Telegram. To use any of them, simply click their icon. After you log in to the site, there are two ways of using this feature: you can open it in overlay or pin it side-by-side with your current tab. Pinning a communicator allows you to combine online chatting with a full browsing experience. You can also decide which of the messengers to enable in your sidebar by selecting them under ‘Customize start page.’
If you use more than one messenger, you can easily switch between them by using our shortcut key for quicker access (⌘ + ⇧ + m on macOS, CTRL + SHIFT + m on Windows and Linux).
Give your browser a new coat of colors
Reborn is a project that is incrementally redesigning the entirety of Opera’s user experience. Apart of the new messenger experience, it brings you several UI improvements. One that you will surely fall in love with is the new colors.
Opera is now available in two color themes: light and dark. You can also select one of the cool backgrounds that perfectly complement Opera’s new look and feel. For this final release, we have prepared some completely new ones.
Both the background wallpaper and the browser’s color theme can be managed in the “customize start page” panel and in browser settings.
Fresh look and feel
Opera now has a completely new user interface that is truly modern, simplified, refined and playful.
The entire layout has been updated with a new, high-quality graphical design that is more consistent across platforms. The tabs are simplified, lighter and more elegant, making it easier to locate open tabs. The new sidebar is more subtle and refined with a touch of animation.
New icons are even more refined and elegant, and some even change colors when active. We have carefully optimized the icons for various DPIs in order to make them look perfect.
Animations make the Reborn interface more alive and playful. The most visible one can be found when opening private mode.
More control over ad blocking
Apart of completely new user experience, the new version also brings you ad blocker improvements. Now, Opera automatically reloads a page when toggling ad blocking on or off for that page. It’s especially useful if you want to quickly flip the switch, and it gives you much more control and comfort while browsing with ad blocker.
Also, we have added some important changes to the block list management. Now, you have control over which block lists are loaded. Easylist and EasyPrivacy are turned on by default. Other lists, including regional and custom lists, can now be managed through the “Manage Lists…” dialog.
Performance and security changes
Most graphics processing units (GPUs) can decode videos highly efficiently. With this release, we will send even more videos to the GPU for decoding on Windows. This will allow for significantly higher framerates, higher resolutions, and lower battery usage for these videos.
Opera adds in-form warnings for sensitive fields when the top-level page is not HTTPS. Whenever you start filling in your password or credit card number on a page, which is not HTTPS, the warning will appear.
Under the hood
Opera 45 comes with Chromium 58, and there’s a bunch of changes. If you’re interested in the details of what happened under the hood, have a look at the dev.opera.com post.
Jump in, download the new Opera and let us know what you think of Opera Reborn!
Installation links
Opera 45.0.2552.812 Stable update
May 15, 2017
Hi,
Today, we would like to share an updated stable build with you. It contains a few important fixes:
All the details are listed in the changelog, as usual.
- Unpinned Opera does not pin itself back to Windows’ taskbar anymore. Many of you reported this issue to us under the last blog post – thank you!
- Red UI elements in high-DPI issue are fixed
- Global menu in Unity is back
- Current theme is now updated when selecting it from “Customize start page”
Opera 45.0.2552.881 Stable update
Kornelia Mielczarczyk
May 26, 2017 (46)
Hi, it’s a quick Stable update we’ve prepared for you for the end of this week. Have a nice weekend and see you on Monday!
Highlights
All the details are listed in the changelog, as usual.
- We fixed some UI issues on Linux: O-menu elements are more visible again and the menu is positioned correctly. Plus, the context menu does not have a black border anymore
- We fixed a crash on the extensions sidebar when right-clicking
- We added more space on the tab bar to make it easier to drag an Opera window (macOS)
- We fixed the 1px issue when watching full screen videos
Installation links
Opera 45.0.2552.888 Stable update
May 31, 2017 (44)
In today’s Opera stable release, we have included some fixes and improvements, especially in network installer.
We also fixed the ‘Start speaking’ function on macOS. You should also find some new translations in this build.
As usual, the changelog contains all the details.
Opera 45.0.2552.898 Stable update
Jun 13, 2017 (10)
Hi,
Today, we’re updating the stable stream with some fixes:
- high memory usage when playing H264 MP3 videos
- fixes for Windows installer
As usual, the changelog contains all the details.
Opera 46 goes final, more quality and Opera’s first TV ad
Krystian Kolondra
Jun 22, 2017 (145)
Today’s stable release is stage two of the Reborn project. Opera 46 improves the quality of Opera Reborn by introducing more user interface changes, reducing crashes, fixing issues for built-in browser VPN, and adding support for animated PNG files (APNG).
First release after Reborn
Reborn has generated huge interest, marking a big step forward in the development of our browser. We do not stop there but keep adding new flavors to the Opera UI. The latest version comes with visual improvements, usability enhancements and as well as new functionality. Here are some of the things you can expect:
- Speed Dial is now dark when wallpapers are disabled and dark theme is enabled
- When importing bookmarks, items from the bookmarks bar will appear in Opera’s bookmark bar automatically
- Macbook touchbar users can enjoy an emoji-enabled input field
New backgrounds
If you’re looking for the full Reborn experience, you can try the exclusive backgrounds. We have partnered with top industry artists Umberto Daina and Feridun Akgüngör to create a custom set of fresh, cool backgrounds. There are many others to choose from, including animated ones.
Focus on stability
In the last months we dedicated even more time to achieve greater stability of Opera. We fixed various crashes, memory leaks and glitches that impair user experience. So far the focus on quality has given a generous 35% reduction in crashes per user, making the latest Opera browsers the very best in terms of stability.
Support for animated PNG
Opera now supports APNGs, or animated PNG files. These are similar to your regular GIFs, but smaller. APNG also supports 24-bit images and 8-bit transparency which help them maintain quality. This format has become quite popular recently, particularly since Apple Link Removed. It’s worth noting that APNG was also supported in Presto.
Watch the APNG demo and learn more about this format.
Latest engine, better performance
Opera 46 runs on tuned Chromium version 59, which introduces expensive background tab throttling. This technology reduces the processing power required for background tabs and improves battery life and overall browsing performance. Try it out yourself with this Link Removed.
To learn more about changes in engine itself visit dev.opera.com.
Opera’s first TV ad
Together with this release, we are also launching our first TV advertisement for the browser. The ad will go live in our biggest market, Russia and is a celebration of all the reactions you have when you watch content of the internet.
Enjoy browsing with Opera 46, and stay tuned for more Reborn improvements this summer.
The changelog
Opera 46.0.2597.32 Stable update
Ewa Mieżejewska
Jun 27, 2017 (45)
Hi, it’s a quick Stable update. It contains a few important fixes:
The changelog
- DNA-60727 [Linux] Crash when ‘Show certificate’ button is clicked
- DNA-61822 [Win] Opera hangs on bookmarks bar folders/items move
- DNA-62048 Taskbar icon unpinned for single user on update
Opera 46.0.2597.46 Stable update
Grzegorz Miazga
Jul 12, 2017 (32)
Hello,
With Ewa and Kornelia taking their long deserved holiday this week I’m here with a small stable update. Just a few fixes this time:
As usual, the changelog contains all the details.
- White frame around PDF file
- [Mac] Opera does not recover from a crash
Changelog for 46
Grzegorz Miazga
Apr 7, 2017
46.0.2597.57 – 2017-07-18 blog post
- DNA-62402 Crash when going to opera:config or opera:themes in private window
- DNA-62503 Crash at base::RefCountedThreadSafe::Release()
- DNA-62562 Ensure Mediarouter is disabled
Exportable bookmarks, smoother videos and design improvements in Opera 47
Krystian Kolondra
Aug 9, 2017 (23)
Opera 47 enters into the stable build today after undergoing a short development cycle (shorter than our usual 6-week period). Albeit light on major features, this version of Opera comes with a handful of useful improvements. Two of these improvements help assist in convenience: the ability to export all bookmarks and increased capacity for the recently closed tab. Your personal newsfeed received two additional refresh intervals and the user interface gained refined visuals for better readability.
Exportable bookmarks
This stable build provides a choice of exporting all of your bookmarks. Everything from your Speed Dial, bookmarks bar and other folders are neatly listed in a single HTML file. Additionally, the bookmarks pop up – seen when adding a new bookmark or Speed Dial entry – received some fixes to bugs experienced earlier.
Smoother background loading of news
Today’s news cycle comes fast and frequent, and the bombardment of information can be overwhelming not only for yourself but also your browser. To reduce interruptions and save some data usage from the browser, your personal news can now be refreshed at two new intervals of three or six hours.
Longer list of closed tabs
Many of our users had requested an expansion of the capacity for the recently closed tab in the tabs bar. Opera now retains up to 32 closed tabs, up from the original 10, for you to recall at the moment’s notice. This becomes a handy shortcut to your history log. (Tip: You can reopen the most recently closed tab by right-clicking any tab and selecting Reopen Last Closed Tab).
Smoother video playback
Additionally, we have cleaned up some issues relating to videos across different systems. Windows 7 Aero users should no longer see flickering background images when switching between YouTube videos. For macOS adherents, broken auto-played YouTube videos when going to fullscreen were fixed. Everyone should see a smoother video pop-up player in Opera 47.
Quality improvements to the design
We sharpened up the colors and appearances of the interface. To better complement our dark theme, dark favicons (the icons associated with a website) received a touch of lighter color to make them more visible in your bookmarks bar. If you decide to stick with the light theme of Opera, we have cleaned up color contrasting for better readability.
Security and engine update
Opera features a “risky file protection” in order to prevent the most scary file types from being downloaded. Opera 47 has been beefed up with .scf files added to the risky file extensions list (for Windows). Our fine-tuned version of Chromium was updated to version 60.
The changelog
Opera 47.0.2631.55 Stable update
Hi all,
We start off this week with a quick stable update. Unfortunately, with the initial release we let two nasty bugs slip by, so here are fixes for them:
Full changelog contains all the details.
- UAC popup displayed every time Opera is launched
- Process overloading in Google/Yandex maps with disabled hardware acceleration