A browser with built-in ad blocking
A user-friendly browser with a built-in adblocker.
There are many mobile browsers to choose from these days and Opera Touch is one of the newer and more popular ones to come around. It is advertised as an easy-to-use mobile browser that is tailored for one-handed use.
This Opera Touch review will cover the pros and cons of the mobile browser and dissect some of the key features such as private mode and ad-blocking.
PROS | CONS |
---|---|
User-friendly | No search widget |
Optimized for one-handed use | Collects and stores browsing data |
Provides an encrypted connection to your PC | |
Built-in ad blocking | |
Protection from cryptojacking |
Opera Touch is a special mobile web browser developed by Opera Software for Android and iOS operating systems. Opera Touch is specifically designed for users on the go. The browser features a fast web search interface and menu that is easy to operate with a single finger.
Opera Touch is not a browser built with privacy in mind like DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser or Brave Browser but it does provide privacy features such as ad-blocking and cryptocurrency mining protection. Popular internet browsers like Google Chrome lack privacy controls like these which makes Opera Touch look really good to the casual browser user.
Optimized for one-handed use
A lot of apps are designed to be easy to use with one hand but Opera Touch takes things a step further than most. The browser is specifically designed to be easy to use with one hand and it’s easy to tell when you use it. With Opera Touch, you can easily tap open the menu, switch tabs, search the web, scan a QR code, and navigate the web with your thumb while your phone is gripped in your hand. Opera Touch truly is easy to use with one hand and this might be hard to understand unless you try it for yourself.
Ad-blocking
A lot of new web browsers block advertisements and trackers by default but Opera Touch’s ad-blocking feature falls a little short compared to the ladder. Opera Touch has an ad-blocking feature that basically limits the number of online ads you see. Opera Touch will not block every advertisement but it will block most of them and this is a slight concern.
Since Opera Touch will not block all advertisements and scripts don’t count on it as a browser that can keep your data safe while you browse the web. Although the ad-blocking feature may be enabled you will still be shown advertisements and those advertisements could possibly be malicious.
Private mode
Opera Touch has a feature called private mode that provides a more private browsing experience. When private mode is enabled, Opera Touch won’t save the browsing history or your tabs.
Opera Touch private mode is comparable to Google Chrome’s incognito mode but quite frankly takes a little more work to clear your history because you have to chose to manually close tabs when you leave private mode.
Connect your computer and mobile devices with Flow
With Flow, you can seamlessly use Opera Touch on your phone together with Opera on your computer for seamless web browsing across multiple devices. You can send links, videos, and notes to yourself from your phone to your computer with a single click.
This is a great feature to have but popular internet browsers can sync your information between devices so you can pick up where you left off from.
Bottom line
Opera Touch is a great alternative mobile browser for Android and Mac devices. It is designed for people on the go and for people who want to browse the web quickly. The only issues I have with Opera Touch is that it does not provide many privacy settings and has fewer features than its competitors.