Opera Android Growth Hits 66% in UK, 40% in US

Opera reported that its Android monthly active users increased by 66% in the UK and 40% in the US year over year in the second quarter of 2026, according to the company. The browser maker attributes this surge to features that come pre-installed, such as a free unlimited VPN and a built-in ad blocker, rather than requiring separate extensions or applications. These tools are not available out of the box on Chrome, prompting many Android users to look elsewhere for a more complete browsing experience.

Growth figures suggest a meaningful segment of Android users are looking beyond the pre-installed browser and evaluating alternatives. Opera credits momentum to features that function immediately upon launch, including integrated AI tools, a football hub for tracking World Cup stats, and cross-device syncing with the desktop version. Chrome on Android lacks these native capabilities, forcing users to install additional software to achieve similar functionality.

According to the company’s Q2 2026 report, UK Android monthly active users saw 66% year-over-year growth, while US Android monthly active users rose by 40%. The organization notes that momentum in Europe has continued following the EU’s Digital Markets Act, with gains in both new user acquisition and retention. Opera has not provided specific user numbers, only reporting the growth percentages compared to the previous year.

Retention rates also improved alongside new sign-ups, indicating that the features driving initial interest are keeping users engaged long-term. This shift in user behavior highlights a growing demand for browsers that prioritize utility and privacy without requiring manual configuration.

The EU’s Digital Markets Act has altered how default browsers are managed on Android devices in Europe. Now, when users set up a new Android device, they see a screen offering a choice of browsers rather than Chrome being set as the default automatically. This change has given a boost to browsers like Opera, Firefox, and DuckDuckGo that compete with Chrome.

Users who try Opera after seeing it on the choice screen tend to keep using it, indicating that these alternative browsers offer features that encourage continued engagement beyond the first trial. In response to competition from third-party browsers, Google has been adding new features to Chrome on Android, including Gemini AI features rolled out to more countries and performance improvements described as an overhaul beneath the hood.

Despite these updates, Chrome’s default setup still lacks some privacy-focused features like a built-in VPN and ad blocking, which Opera provides out of the box. Users seeking these options must either add them separately to Chrome or switch to browsers such as Brave, DuckDuckGo, Firefox, or Vivaldi.

Chrome remains the dominant browser on Android, holding roughly 65% of the global market share. However, Opera’s reported growth indicates that user habits are shifting, particularly in regions with regulatory frameworks like the DMA that promote browser choice.