Opera’s mobile browser has always been a curious alternative in a world dominated by Safari and Chrome. Now, Opera is making a bold push to attract iPhone owners with an update to its iOS app that directly tackles one of the biggest headaches for mobile browsing: managing a mountain of open tabs. 
The company is positioning this feature set not just as a convenience, but as the most advanced tab management system currently available on Apple’s mobile platform.
For many iPhone users, Safari has long been the default option. It’s tightly integrated with iOS, fast, and reliable. But Opera is betting that customization and control are exactly what users are craving in 2025. At the center of Opera’s strategy is a powerful new tab search function. Instead of swiping endlessly or squinting at thumbnails, you can simply type in a keyword, URL, or even part of a page title, and Opera will find the tab instantly
. This system doesn’t just handle your local tabs; it also lets you jump between synced tabs from other devices and private browsing tabs, all from one place.
Opera’s product manager Jona Bolin summed up the philosophy by saying, “We might be obsessed with tab overload – but that’s because we’ve learned how to tame it.” The idea is simple: if users feel in control of their digital clutter, they’ll be more willing to adopt Opera as their everyday browser rather than defaulting back to Safari.
Beyond tab management, Opera is rolling out several enhancements designed to make its browser feel more personal and, frankly, more fun to use. The homepage layout is customizable, allowing you to select which features and tools are front and center. This small shift can have a big impact: instead of feeling like you’re stuck with a generic browser, Opera transforms into a platform tailored to your habits.
A prime example is the integration of Opera’s AI assistant, Aria. With its name echoing the Opera brand, Aria has been placed front and center in the bottom navigation bar. No more hunting for it; it’s always one tap away. Depending on the complexity of your query, Aria connects to either OpenAI’s GPT-4o or Google’s Gemini 2.0, giving users quick and intelligent answers on the go. This dual-engine approach is meant to ensure you get the best results, whether you’re asking about the weather or looking for help drafting an email.
Visual flair hasn’t been ignored either. Opera for iOS now includes a wide selection of wallpapers across multiple categories, so you can style your browser the way you might personalize your lock screen or home screen. And if you’re the type who likes to stay updated without constantly hopping between apps, the Startpage Carousel delivers. It’s a dynamic feed that combines curated news stories with live football scores. A quick swipe lets you check headlines or match results without leaving your browsing session, turning Opera into a hub for both productivity and entertainment.
There’s also a nod to users who crave a desktop-like experience on mobile. For instance, Opera ensures that certain websites – like The New York Times – display identically to how they appear on desktop browsers. This level of fidelity is often missing in competitors, which tend to reformat content for smaller screens at the cost of design accuracy.
Opera’s push comes at a time when Apple is facing increased scrutiny over default apps and user choice in the EU and beyond. That makes it the perfect moment for Opera to tempt iPhone owners with features Safari doesn’t prioritize. The browser market is notoriously sticky – most people rarely switch – but with thoughtful upgrades like these, Opera is making a compelling case that convenience, customization, and AI-powered assistance are worth the jump.
Whether these changes will be enough to lure iPhone loyalists away from Safari remains to be seen. But Opera is clearly leaning into its role as the creative challenger in the browser market, offering an experience that feels less like a clone of Safari and more like a reinvention of what mobile browsing could be.