Today we’re bringing another update to Opera Developer as part of the Opera One R3 roll out process. This time we’re updating the Split Screen feature that we introduced last year and that has become a go-to for productivity in Opera One, and we’re also adding Gmail and Google Calendar as an integration to the Opera sidebar. 

These updates are improvements to the modular design of Opera One because it further enhances the core elements that bring such modularity to the browser: the Sidebar and Split Screen. They aim to improve your favorite features from the Opera browser, and give you more tools that let you browse in a more versatile and productive way. These additions are now available for testing on early access in the developer stream of our flagship browser for desktop. 

Upgraded Split Screen four-the-win

We introduced the Split Screen feature to Opera One last year, and since then it has become one of the most popular features among you multitaskers and tab hoarders – and also within Opera, so we salute you! Truth be told, this is a very useful feature that simply makes it much easier to work on two pages at once, and today we’re increasing that number to four, and making some changes to adapt to the increased amount of tabs you can view at once:

• Up to four tabs in Split Screen: so, you’re no longer limited to two tabs and can view up to four at the same time, what’s it going to be? A product comparison or maybe you’re planning your holidays? Well, regardless of what you use it for, to split the screen:
  • Select the tabs you want to view at once (up to four), then right click, and select “Create Split Screen”;
  • You can also just drag the tabs you want down, and now you can do four! Actually, if you open the Opera AI dedicated panel that would be five at the same time, and if on top of that you also pin a sidebar service like Gmail, then it would be six! – but please don’t quote me on that when you’re overwhelmed with that many tabs open at once 😅.

• More layout options: we’re also adding new ways of seeing your tabs next to each other. In addition to the standard vertical layout that displays the tabs side by side, we’re adding a horizontal layout that lets you place them on top of each other, and also a grid layout – letting you make the most out of your screen.
  • Bear in mind that you can only open four tabs at once in the vertical and grid layout.
  • You can resize the tabs in any of the layouts by dragging the division between them. 
  • When dragging tabs down to enter Split Screen mode, you’ll get different options on the screen that will let you go vertical or horizontal, and when you’re adding a fourth one, you’ll see the grid option appear. 

• Finally, we’re simplifying the interface in order to enable the improvements mentioned above to work properly. So, now when you enter Split Screen mode there is only one address bar to work with. Having up to four tabs in the same window can be visually overwhelming, and therefore the UI has to be as simple as possible, but retaining its usability – and that’s what we’ve achieved here.
  • With a single address bar, you can now access your Bookmarks and use the Snapshot tool to capture the whole screen (not just one tab) when using Split Screen mode. 
  • The web domains that are being displayed in the screen will appear to the very left of the address bar, and from there you can either close them or expand the full URL (by clicking on it). 

We’re looking forward to you trying the improvements to the Split Screen feature as we roll it out to the Developer stream of the Opera browser for testing – we’ll be making improvements and adding changes according to the feedback we get from you.

Google Calendar & Gmail integrated on the Opera sidebar

The sidebar is one of the most beloved features in the Opera browser – if not the most popular one. It is a dedicated space that integrates your favorite apps and go-to services, and places them strategically at hand so you don’t have to dedicate valuable space in the tab bar to them. Earlier this year we added some popular services requested by you such as Slack, Discord and Bluesky, and since then we’ve received significant feedback to integrate Google services as well. So, we heard you and today we’re bringing two of the most popular services from Google that you use on a daily basis: Google Calendar and Gmail. 

To get started with Gmail and Google Calendar in the sidebar you’ll simply need to: 

• Open the Sidebar setup menu by clicking on the three dots at the bottom of it.
• Navigate to the section called “Google services.”
• Click on the circle in front of Gmail and Google Calendar and they’ll show up in your sidebar.

Now you can open these services conveniently from the sidebar of your Opera browser, and if you want you can also resize the panel, or pin it to keep it open while you browse without it interfering with the tab you’re using. 

Download Opera to get the best integrations into the browser

With this update we’re finalizing the Opera One R3 roll out process that has brought a more advanced browser AI with the introduction of Opera AI, evolved tabs with more customization, and – with this update – more integrations based on the modular design that is core to Opera One.

Download Opera Developer and start testing these integrations, and don’t forget to leave us your feedback in the comments down below. 

googleOpera DeveloperOpera OneSplit Screen

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