Opera adds a better reader mode to its powerful Android browser

OSLO, Norway, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Opera (NASDAQ:OPRA) is releasing the newest version of its flagship Android browser. Version 56 of the Opera browser for Android comes with a significantly enhanced reader mode: the redesigned feature improves readability and allows users to stay focused on the content they are reading.

The improved reader mode is Opera’s latest effort to allow people to focus on the content they want, without distractions. Regardless of a website's design, it displays articles in an optimized format that improves their readability.

Designed for maximum readability

While redesigning the new reader mode, Opera’s design team kept in mind both mobile phones and tablets which come in many screen sizes. The way people hold their devices and the distance between their eyes and the screen also varies from person to person.

“Websites are often jampacked with distractions and their design is inconsistent. This makes it easy to lose focus and sometimes even forget what it was that we were reading,” said Peter Wallman, SVP of browsers at Opera. “Our goal with the improved reader mode is to allow our users to focus solely on the articles of their choice and to give them a consistent and pleasant reading experience.”

The reader mode puts content front and center

Opera’s improved reader fixes problems such as dense layouts and small fonts. The improved reader mode in the browser utilizes fonts such as Roboto for the text body and Roboto Slab when it comes to the headlines. The font sizes were selected based on feedback from Opera users and a series of tests. The chosen font sizes were the most comfortable to read, even for people who have vision problems. Roboto Slab also includes serifs, which makes article headlines look more like newspaper headlines and differentiates the text from the system font used in the rest of the browser’s UI.

Once enabled, the reader mode converts suitable web pages into a simplified format, displaying a neater version of the articles: the font is changed for maximum readability, and the top navigation, as well as ads on a website, is hidden.

“Our focus with the new reader mode was to make content the central element that a user focuses on. I think we’ve succeeded,” added Wallman.

A powerhouse of features

In 2019, the Opera browser for Android added more than , both big and small, making it the most powerful browser available in app stores today. These features include a free and unlimited VPN (Virtual private network), an improved ad blocker, a cookie dialog blocker as well as an integrated crypto wallet that allows users to access Web 3 and conduct transactions with the most popular cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and TRON.

The browser of choice for millions of people

The Opera browser for Android is a leading challenger browser, and is the choice for millions of people worldwide who prefer Opera over the more simple default browsers. In the last half of 2019, the browser increased its monthly active user base by forty percent globally year-over-year. The Opera browser for Android has also registered more than three million reviews in Google Play with people giving it an average 4.6 star rating.

In countries like Germany, the Opera browser for Android was recently ranked as the number one application in the social and communications apps category, according to the report presented by AppAnnie. This means that mobile users in Germany chose the Opera browser for Android even over the popular social app Beer with Me.

“The internet is constantly evolving, and browsers need to keep innovating to stay in the very front of these changes. With Opera, you feel this at every step. Our Android browser is packed with ultramodern features that let you, for example, instantly switch on the built-in VPN, access the crypto wallet in our browser and block ads per website without any extensions,” said Peter Wallman, SVP of Browsers at Opera.

Available for download

The Opera browser for Android is available for download in .

About Opera

Opera is a leading global internet brand with an engaged and growing base of over 350 million average monthly active users. Building on over 20 years of innovation, starting with our browser products, we are increasingly leveraging our brand as well as our massive and highly active user base in order to expand our offerings and our business. Today, we offer users across Europe, Africa and Asia a wide range of products and services that include our PC and mobile browsers as well as our AI-powered news reader, Opera News and our app-based microfinance solutions. Opera’s products are available for download from and mobile app stores

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at