Opera Mini for iOS help

Short guides for Opera Mini on iPhone and iPad. Tap a topic to open it.

Getting started

Start page

What it is

The Start page is the screen you see in a new tab. It has the search bar and your Speed Dial shortcuts. It can also show Live Scores and a news feed.

How to use it

Tap the round customise button at the top of the Start page. Or go to Settings > Start Page.
Pick a Wallpaper. Tap Add to use your own photo.
Turn Speed Dial, Live Scores or News on or off.

Private tabs show a dark Private Mode screen instead. Speed Dial, Live Scores and News do not show there.

Common problems

How do I go back to the Start page?Open a new tab. You can also tap the plus icon at the top of the Opera menu.

Something is missing from my Start page.Open the customise screen. Check that Speed Dial, Live Scores and News are on. Live Scores is off at first.

The news does not show.News must be on, and you need an internet connection. See News.

Speed Dial shortcuts

What it is

Speed Dial is a set of shortcuts to your favourite sites. It sits under the search bar on the Start page. Tap a shortcut to open the site.

How to use it

Add a shortcut: tap the + tile at the end of the shortcuts. Or open a site, open the Opera menu and tap Add to Speed Dial.
Change or remove a shortcut: tap and hold it. Then tap Edit or Delete.
Show or hide Speed Dial: go to Settings > Start Page and use the Speed Dial switch.

If you hide Speed Dial, your shortcuts are kept. They come back when you turn it on again.

Common problems

Speed Dial is missing.Go to Settings > Start Page. Check that Speed Dial is on.

A shortcut I deleted came back.Opera adds some shortcuts for you and may update them. Shortcuts you add yourself do not change.

Can I move shortcuts around?Not in this version.

I can’t add this page.You can’t add app pages, like the Start page. You also can’t add Reader Mode pages.

News

What it is

News shows stories on your Start page, under Speed Dial. You can choose topics, country and language. News is on at first.

How to use it

Go to Settings > News.
Turn News on or off.
When News is on, you can also change:
- Region: the country and language of your news. Auto follows your phone.
- Reader Mode: how articles open.
- Notifications: news alerts.
- Interests: the topics you want. Drag them to change the order.

On the Start page, swipe the topic tabs left or right. Scroll down to read more. Tap a story to open it.

Common problems

I see “Couldn’t load news”.Check your internet connection. Then tap Try again. If it still fails, try another Region or restart the app.

The news is in the wrong language or country.Go to Settings > News > Region. Pick the one you want.

Why are there ads between stories?Some items are sponsored. They are marked Advertisement.

I get too many news alerts.Turn off Notifications in Settings > News.

Live Scores (football)

What it is

Live Scores shows football matches with live scores. It is off at first. You can show it on the Start page, in the bottom bar, or both.

How to use it

On the Start page: go to Settings > Start Page. Turn on Live Scores.
In the bottom bar: go to Settings > Appearance > Navigation. Turn on Live Scores. A football button appears.
From the menu: open the Opera menu and tap Live Scores.

Tap a match to see details. Tap View more to see all matches. Swipe down to close.

You can follow a match to get alerts. The app may ask you to allow notifications.

Common problems

I don’t see the Live Scores card.Check that Live Scores is on in Settings > Start Page. You need an internet connection. The card hides when there are no matches. It does not show in private tabs.

How do I stop match alerts?Go to Settings > Notifications > Notification Types. Turn off Live Scores.

Theme and dark mode

What it is

Theme changes how Opera Mini looks. You can pick light, dark, or the same as your phone. You can also pick a colour and a wallpaper.

How to use it

Go to Settings > Appearance.
Choose Light, System or Dark. System follows your phone and is the default.
Tap a colour circle to change the main colour.
Tap Wallpaper to change the Start page background.

The app changes right away.

Common problems

How do I turn on dark mode?Go to Settings > Appearance and tap Dark.

The app is dark, but I chose Light.You may be in a private tab. Private tabs are always dark.

Websites are still light.The theme changes the app, not websites. Each website chooses its own colours.

Address bar, gestures and vibrations

What it is

You can put the address bar at the top or bottom of the screen. You can move around pages with simple swipes. You can also turn small vibrations on or off.

How to use it

Move the address bar: go to Settings > Appearance > Address bar. Tap Top or Bottom.
Vibrations: go to Settings and turn Vibrations on or off. It is on at first.
Change the Opera menu: open the Opera menu and tap Edit Menu. Tick the items you want. Drag them to change the order.

Gestures

Pull down from the top of a page to reload it.
Swipe in from the left edge to go back. Swipe in from the right edge to go forward.
Tap and hold the Back or Forward button to see pages you visited in that tab.

Common problems

The address bar moves to the top when I turn my phone.This is normal. When the phone is sideways, the address bar is always at the top.

I don’t feel any vibration.Check that Vibrations is on in Opera Mini settings. Also check your iPhone Settings > Sounds & Haptics. Low Power Mode can also stop vibrations.

Browsing

Tabs

What it is

Tabs let you keep many web pages open at once. You can switch between them and put them in groups.

How to use it

Tap the tab button. It is the small box with a number in it. This opens the Tabs page.

Open a tab: tap a tab.
Close a tab: tap the x on the tab.
New tab: tap the plus button.
Grid or list: tap the layout button at the bottom left.
Find a tab: tap the search button and type.
Close all tabs: tap the More (…) button > Close All Tabs.
Make a group: tap and hold a tab. Tap Add to Group > New Group. Give it a name and a colour.

Common problems

I closed a tab by mistake.On the Tabs page, tap and hold the plus button. Or tap More (…) > Recently Closed. You can also look in History.

Can I swipe a tab to close it?Not in this version. Tap the x, or tap and hold the tab and choose Close Tab.

The tab button shows 99+.The number stops at 99. You can still open more tabs.

Private mode

What it is

Private mode lets you browse without saving history on your phone. Your private data is removed when you close all private tabs.

How to use it

Turn on

Open the Opera menu and tap Private Mode.
Or tap and hold the tab button and choose New Private Tab.
Or tap and hold a link and choose Open in Private Tab.

The screen turns dark so you know Private mode is on.

Turn off

Open the Opera menu and tap Private Mode again. If private tabs are open, you can choose:

Leave and close Private Tabs: closes them and removes private data.
Leave Private Mode: keeps your private tabs open for later.

Common problems

How do I know Private mode is on?The screen is dark. The Start page says Private Mode.

My private tabs are still there.You chose Leave Private Mode. Next time choose Leave and close Private Tabs.

Does Private mode hide me from websites or my network?No. It only stops Opera Mini saving your data on the phone.

Are my downloads and bookmarks deleted?No. Things you save on purpose stay saved.

History

What it is

History is a list of web pages you have visited. Use it to find a page again. The newest pages are at the top.

How to use it

Open the Opera menu and tap History.
Tap a page to open it.
Use the search bar to find a page by name or address.
To delete one page, swipe it left and tap the bin.
To delete all, tap More (…) > Clear History > Clear.

History keeps pages for about three months. Older pages are removed. Pages from private tabs are not saved.

Common problems

A page I visited is missing.You may have used a private tab. Or the visit may be more than three months old.

Can I stop saving history?Use Private mode. History can’t be turned off.

I cleared history, but my sites are still on the Start page.Clearing history does not remove Speed Dial shortcuts. Tap and hold a shortcut and tap Delete.

Does clearing history sign me out of sites?No. To sign out, clear cookies. See Clear browsing data.

Link and image menus

What it is

Tap and hold a link or picture on a page. A menu opens with quick actions.

How to use it

On a link

Open in New Tab
Open in Background Tab: opens it without leaving your page.
Open in Private Tab
Copy Link Address
Share Link…

On a picture

Open Image
Save Image: saves it to your Photos app.
Share Image…
Search Image with Google Lens

To share the page you are on, open the Opera menu and tap Share.

Common problems

The menu doesn’t open.Hold a little longer and don’t move your finger. Wait until the page stops scrolling.

Save Image does not work.Let Opera Mini save photos. Go to iPhone Settings > Opera Mini > Photos. Choose Add Photos Only. Some pictures can’t be saved.

Where is my saved picture?In the iPhone Photos app.

I don’t see “Open in Private Tab”.You are already in Private mode.

Desktop site and Find in page

What it is

Desktop shows the computer version of a website. Find in Page helps you find a word on a page.

How to use it

Desktop site

Open a web page.
Open the Opera menu.
Tap Desktop in the top row. A dot shows it is on.
Tap Desktop again to go back to the mobile version.

This works for one tab only. The page reloads each time.

Find in Page

Open a web page.
Open the Opera menu and tap Show More > Find in Page.
Type the word. Matches are highlighted.
Use the up and down arrows to move between matches.

Common problems

Desktop is grey and I can’t tap it.Open a normal web page first. It does not work on the Start page.

Find in Page is grey.It does not work on PDF files.

The site still looks like the mobile version.Turn Desktop off and on again. Some sites choose their own layout.

Search

Search engine and suggestions

What it is

These settings choose your search engine. They also control what you see when you tap the search bar.

How to use it

Go to Settings.
Tap Default Search Engine and choose one.
Turn these on or off:
- Trending Searches: popular searches right now.
- Recent Searches: your past searches.
- Suggested Sites: sites you may like. This is not shown for everyone.

The search engines you can pick depend on your country.

Common problems

I can’t find my favourite search engine.Only the engines in the list are available. You can still type the engine’s web address.

I don’t see suggestions when I type.Check your internet connection. Search suggestions don’t work in private tabs. Some engines don’t give suggestions.

I don’t see Trending Searches.Trending Searches only works with Google. Check the switch is on.

How do I remove my recent searches?Clear your browsing history. Turning off Recent Searches only hides them.

Instant, voice and QR search

What it is

With Instant Search, the search bar is ready when you open the app. The keyboard comes up so you can type right away. It is off at first.

You can also search with your voice or by scanning a QR code.

How to use it

Instant Search: go to Settings and turn on Instant Search.
Voice Search: tap and hold the Search button in the bottom bar. Choose Voice Search. Speak when you see Say something…
Scan a QR code: tap and hold the Search button. Choose Scan QR code. Point the camera at the code.

The first time, the app asks to use your camera or microphone. Tap Allow.

Common problems

The search bar is not ready when I open the app.Check that Instant Search is on. It only works if you were away from the app for a few hours.

I see “Voice Search Unavailable”.Check your internet connection. Also turn on Dictation in iPhone Settings > General > Keyboard.

Voice Search says my language is not supported.Voice Search does not work in every language yet.

I see “Camera Access Disabled” or “Microphone Access Disabled”.Tap Open Settings. Allow access for Opera Mini.

Privacy and cleaner pages

Block ads

What it is

Ad Blocking stops many ads on websites. Pages look cleaner and can load faster. It is on at first.

How to use it

Go to Settings > Tracker & Ad Blocking.
Turn Ad Blocking on or off.

Quick way: open the Opera menu and tap Ad Block.

For one site only: open the site. Open Site Options from the menu. Turn Ad Blocking off for that site.

Changes work on the next page you open.

Common problems

I still see ads.No ad blocker stops every ad. Check that Ad Blocking is on. Then reload the page or restart the app.

I see ads on search results.This is normal. Ads on search engine result pages are not blocked.

A site doesn’t work with Ad Blocking on.Turn Ad Blocking off for that site in Site Options.

Clear browsing data

What it is

This deletes data the browser keeps on your phone. You can delete history, cookies and saved files. This can free up space.

How to use it

Go to Settings > Clear Browser Data.
Tick what you want to delete:
- Browsing History
- Cookies and Site Data: this signs you out of most sites.
- Cached Images and Files: some sites may load slower once.
- Site Settings
- Recently Closed Tabs
Tap Time Range. Choose from Last Hour to All Time.
Tap Clear. Then tap Clear Selected Data.

Your open tabs, bookmarks, downloads and passwords are not deleted.

Common problems

The Clear button is grey.Tick at least one item first.

I cleared history, but I am still signed in to sites.Also tick Cookies and Site Data.

Can I undo it?No. Deleted data can’t come back.

Get help

Help and Report a problem

What it is

Here you can read help pages, tell us about a problem, or rate the app.

How to use it

Go to Settings > Help and Feedback. Then choose:

Help: opens Opera’s help website.
Report a Problem: opens a form in the app.
Rate Application: opens the App Store so you can rate Opera Mini.

In the form, some details about your app and phone are added for you. They help us find the problem. Describe the problem and tap submit.

Please write in English if you can. This helps us reply faster.

Common problems

The form doesn’t open.Check your internet connection and try again.

Why are some details already filled in?They help us find the problem. You can read them before you send.

Still need help?

In Opera Mini, go to Settings > Help and Feedback > Report a Problem. Tell us what happened.

You can also ask in the Opera forums.