Opera For iPhone Rolls Out Redesigned Tab Management Ahead Of iOS 26 Update

Ahead of Apple's big iOS 26 update expected to roll out to all iPhone users in the coming weeks, the Norwegian browser company Opera just updated its iPhone app with a revamped new tab management functionality. This new version comes a little before Apple makes a handful of new tweaks to Safari, including the all-new design thanks to the Liquid Glass UI.

However, while Apple ties its Safari updates with major new iOS versions, Opera keeps improving its browser as an alternative to Apple's built-in solution. This time, the Norwegian company says it cracked "one of iOS users' biggest frustrations," which is "many unruly tabs." With this new version, Opera for iOS brings desktop-style tab organization to iPhone users.

"We're all excited about the launch of the new iPhones, but here we're even more excited about fixing the tab issue on iOS," said Jona Bolin, product manager of Opera One for iOS. "Some people say we're too much into tab overload, and indeed we are, because we can control it," he added.

Opera highlights the following new features available for iOS users with the updated tab management system:

Grid and list views: Users can choose between a grid or list layout for tabs. The first one lets you see several pages at once with more detail, while the latter lets you manage hundreds of them in a more compact view.

Tab grouping: Like Opera One desktop browser, the company now offers the ability to group tabs, so you can have all your trip's pages in a group, your work things on another, and so on.

Tab search: If you have hundreds of tabs opened, Opera now lets you search for a specific page. A search icon lets you type a keyword related to the title or URL.

Improved UI: Finally, the new tab management for iOS offers the ability to swipe between icons to quickly access regular tabs, private mode, and synced tabs from other devices.

Opera for iOS also adds the ability to customize menus, so you can have your favorite features at a glance, in addition to easier access to Aria, Opera's built-in AI, which is now in the middle of the bottom bar.