Opera has launched a comprehensive redesign of its iPhone app, introducing a revamped tab management system and deeper integration of its native AI, Aria. The update aims to tackle a major pain point for iOS users—the clutter of multiple open tabs—by bringing a level of organization typically found in desktop browsers.
The new tab system offers users more control and a more efficient browsing workflow. Key features include a grid and list view for open tabs, allowing users to switch between a visual thumbnail layout and a more compact, vertically oriented list for managing hundreds of tabs. The update also introduces a tab grouping feature, a core component of the desktop Opera One browser, which enables users to manually organize related tabs into custom groups. To further improve navigation, a new tab search function has been added, allowing users to find specific pages among dozens of open tabs by typing keywords.
Beyond tabs, the redesign refines the entire user interface and introduces enhanced AI functionality. The UI allows for seamless swiping between regular, private, and synced tabs. The most significant addition is the prominent integration of Aria, Opera’s built-in AI. A shortcut for Aria is now placed in the middle of the bottom bar, providing one-tap access to the AI. Aria is a powerful tool that can not only generate text and images but also understands natural language commands to manage tabs, such as grouping tabs by topic. This marks a new level of “agentic” AI functionality in a mobile browser.
The update also includes a customizable menu, allowing users to rearrange or remove shortcuts for features like bookmarks, history, downloads, and the “Send to Flow” function. While the app now offers an import feature for bookmarks from desktop, a full two-way sync between devices is not yet available, a point of frustration for some users. This redesign is a strategic move by Opera to position itself as a viable, feature-rich alternative to Apple’s native Safari browser ahead of the highly anticipated iOS 26 update.
