


A small button will appear to the left of the address bar when VPN is enabled. Opera's free VPN service can be switched on from the browser's options panel. Just open the app, tap the Opera logo and. While the VPN can now be accessed only from within the latest Opera developer build on Windows, OS X and Linux, Kolondra said that the tool and service would reach the production-grade browser in a "few weeks." Opera Browser Opera has a free built-in VPN service, and you dont even need to create an account to get started. Interestingly, Opera's chief financial officer, Erik Harrell, resigned last week, and left the company immediately.Ĭhinese users have often tried to circumvent their country's blocking efforts using VPNs, although the Communist Party-controlled government has cracked down on the technology using both official directives and technical means. After several postponements of the deadline for a shareholder vote, a new date of May 24 was set last week. That deal was urged on shareholders by Opera Software's board of directors in February. The inclusion of a VPN could also be set in the context of Opera's sale to a group of Chinese companies, including Beijing Kunlun Tech, a mobile game maker, and Qihoo, known for its search and anti-malware business in the People's Republic of China. Some, however, took a very long time to load, at least on the first instance.

"It also became apparent to us that what people need are not the same features that were relevant for their browsers 10 years ago."Ĭomputerworld downloaded and installed the Mac version of Opera's preview, enabled the VPN, and successfully browsed to numerous websites. To activate it: Go to Menu > Settings (or Preferences on Mac) > Privacy & Security > Enable VPN. "We realized that people need new features in order to browse the web efficiently in 2016," Kolondra said. Kolondra argued that features like the ad blocker and VPN are what today's customers want. The VPN addition came on the heels of the March debut of an integrated ad blocker in the developer preview of Opera. Opera users will, in effect, be able to use a VPN without having to pay subscription fees like SurfEasy's. SurfEasy currently offers VPN subscriptions, including a plan that costs $6.49 per month when paid annually. Opera's VPN is likely based on the network of Toronto-based SurfEasy, which the Norwegian browser maker acquired last month. In a public setting, such as a coffee shop's Wi-Fi network, a VPN also provides a secure "tunnel" to the destination, preventing theft of credentials and personal information like passwords. It will also anonymize the user - the VPN disguises the actual IP address of the user - by making it appear that the browser originated elsewhere. The latest version of the application is supported on Mac OS X 10.7.0 or later. The latest installation package that can be downloaded is 165.2 MB in size. 48 for Mac can be downloaded from our software library for free. Opera's baked-in VPN will let users access sites blocked in their countries, or by their employers or schools. Switch on or off pop-ups, add plug-ins and add-ons, and pick proxy servers.
