Getting started with Opera

Introduction to Opera

This guide was last updated for Opera 12.00

Welcome to Opera! This guide introduces you to the Opera desktop web browser.

It covers general stuff about the browser itself — layout, menus, buttons and so on, plus it explains how to browse the Web, and how to use the unique features to speed up your browsing. There's also a few tips on how to customize Opera to suit yourself.

Finding your way around the Opera browser

How to find your way around the layout, buttons, menus and toolbars:

Browsing with Opera

How to use the basic features of Opera to browse the Web:

Increasing your browsing speed

How to use special features of Opera to browse even faster:

Making Opera your own — customize it

How to change a few settings to customize the Opera browser to suit yourself:

About this tutorial

This guide applies to Opera on all three major operating systems - Windows, UNIX, and Mac.

Commonly used menu options

Some menu options that are frequently mentioned in this guide include:

Preferences — From the menu, select Settings > Preferences .
Quick Preferences — From the menu, select Settings > Quick Preferences . This is a selection of commonly-used preferences arranged for you to access easily.
Appearance — From the menu, select Settings > Appearance .

Right-click

The term "right-click" throughout refers to using the right button on your mouse.

Personalize Opera — If you already know how to use the basic functions and features of the Opera browser, you may prefer this guide, which covers settings for customization and maintenance.
Guide to security and privacy in Opera — This guide explains features, settings, and tips, to help you protect your privacy and add more security to Opera's robust, default security settings.
For access to other tutorials, advanced documents and more, see our support page.

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