Opera One Launches on iPhone and iPad

Opera announced today that its AI-native flagship web browser, Opera One, is now available for Apple’s iPhone and iPad.

“Our research shows mobile phone users are six times more likely to be happy than not, after switching away from their system’s default browser,” Opera product manager Jona Bolin says. “So with Opera One for iOS, we want to further raise the bar and deliver a better browsing experience versus what users will find pre-installed.”

Opera says it’s seen a surge of interest and new usage since the European Union (EU)’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) took effect, requiring gatekeepers like Apple to explicitly present users with a web browser choice. It’s seen 63 percent usage growth in the EU in just one month and is “embracing the opportunities presented by the new regulatory landscape” to provide iPhone and iPad users with a browser it says is faster, more secure, and more innovative than the built-in browser.

On that note, Opera One for iOS a modern design that will be familiar to users of Opera on desktop platforms, with a new navigation style that puts search on the bottom of the app by default where it’s more easily reached (and, yes, you can change that). The top bar and bottom bar disappear as you scroll, giving more space to the content you’re viewing, and those bars change hue to match the page you’re on for visual consistency. There’s also a new start page carousel with news, live sports scores, and tips.

But the big deal here, of course, is AI: Opera One for iOS includes Aria, the free, unlimited built-in browser AI that provides up-to-date information from the web and a long list of generative AI features related to information retrieval, text or code generation, and product inquiries. Aria also includes Voice Input so you can speak queries instead of having to type and Google Imagen2-based image generation capabilities.

Finally, Opera One also provides other unique features like native ad-blocking and a free VPN.

You can download Opera One for iPhone and iPad for free from the Apple App Store.