When was the last time you thought about switching your phone’s browser? For a long time, most people just stuck with whatever came preinstalled, which was Safari on iPhone and Google Chrome on Android. But Opera’s latest numbers suggest that changing, and the company is riding a nice wave of growth.
In a blog post, Opera shared that the combined monthly active users of its Android and iOS browsers grew 66% in the UK and 40% in the US year over year during the second quarter. That’s a big jump in two of the most competitive markets out there.
Europe started it, and the US and UK are catching up
Opera’s growth story began in Europe, and it’s still going strong. The momentum picked up after the EU’s 2024 Digital Markets Act, which gave iOS users a real browser choice for the first time and made options more visible for Android users. Opera One for iOS grew 42% across Europe over the last year, with France seeing a staggering 103% growth.
Now the same is happening in the US and the UK. In the US, Opera One grew by 50% on iOS and 30% on Android, while in the UK, the numbers were even better, with 93% growth on iOS and 50% on Android.
Why people are choosing to stay with Opera
Getting users to try a browser is one thing, but keeping them is another. Opera credits its core features for users’ loyalty. You get a free, no-log VPN with no data cap, a native ad blocker that speeds up load times, smart tab management with Tab Islands, and a built-in browser AI that helps you search and get answers without leaving the app.
The company keeps building on and releasing new features, which is another factor why people choose to stay. The latest iOS update adds better syncing between desktop and iPhone, media controls in the tab view, and file uploads for the browser AI. Meanwhile, Opera for Android added a football hub with live scores and match stats, which already saw a 70% jump in visitors to its scores section.
The takeaway is clear. When you give people a real choice, they will take it.