We’ve always made the case that Opera is the browser of choice for people who want to choose their browser. Today, making that choice will be even easier for millions of Chromebook users, because they’ll be able to choose a browser optimized for them: Opera for Chrome OS.

Opera for Chrome is the first browser specifically optimized for Chromebooks, which means that the unique feature set that has drawn hundreds of millions of users to the Opera browser – including messengers, a free and unlimited VPN, ad and tracker blocking, a crypto wallet, all of which are built-in, not tacked on – will now be available to all Chromebook users.

This is exciting news for Opera, our users, partners and shareholders.

First, Chromebooks represent a large and fast-growing market: roughly 30 million Chromebooks sold in 2020 (outpacing Mac sales for the first time), and that number is expected to increase by a third again this year, to 40 million. While the shift to remote work and learning in the past year contributed to these increasing adoption rates, we believe that the convenience and value Chromebooks offer consumers will drive growth over the long term. 

Second, despite this clear and rising popularity, Chromebook users - until now - have not been offered a full-featured alternative to Chrome that has been optimized for these devices. One of the things we’re extremely proud of at Opera is that we are always proactively chosen by our users, and we believe that is because we have a culture of innovation that is focused on user experience, and its constant improvement. There’s a reason we’re the first and only browser optimized for Chromebook, and that’s because we want to ensure that the people who want to choose, can. 

Third, our research shows that people tend to use more than one browser, and want to have access to different browsers for different purposes, e.g. one for work-related matters and the other for personal needs and their free time. Opera is the first alternative browser optimized for Chromebook that gives them that choice. 

Importantly, with this release, the Opera ecosystem is complete. Opera is now available on all major operating systems: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS and Chrome OS. Further, Opera allows our users to seamlessly synchronize with other Opera browsers they may have on any other device: Chromebook, another desktop computer, Android or iOS phone - we don’t discriminate. 

Users can sync them using our Flow feature by simply scanning a QR code and thus establishing a “Flow”: a personal, end-to-end encrypted chat that lets users take notes, store images and small files, as well as links for later reference with Opera on any of their devices.

Our digital lives should be frictionless, just as they should be safe, secure, private, and productive. The Opera browser allows our users to opt into a no-compromise, seamless online experience that doesn’t suddenly grind to a halt in going from a phone to a laptop, and back again.

Opera is the only browser that lives up to the promise of the digital future. Regardless of where users are or what hardware and operating system they’re using, Opera provides the most valuable and innovative features, because it is designed to optimize the user experience.

And, in our opinion, that’s not just good technology. That’s smart business.