Opera 36 for Android Update Brings New Tab Switcher and More

Opera has released its latest browser version 36 for Android which brings new features alongside the latest Chromium 49 upgrade. Opera 36 for Android is now available to download via Google Play.

In a blog post, Opera's Andreas Bovens, Extensions Product Manager and Developer Relations Team Lead, detailed that the biggest addition in the latest Opera 36 for Android is the brand-new tab switcher. Bovens says that the company "rebuilt" the feature for making it easy to use and also reduced its memory usage "significantly".

"The two tab overviews allow you to find the tab you need in an instant, and closing tabs is super simple as well: just flick up a tab to close it," said Bovens. Another improvement is done on the private tab mode which will be now easier to find. "It's just a swipe or tap away from the normal tab-switching mode," adds Bovens.

The update also adds a new progressive Web app discovery mechanism where sites like Flipkart function like a native app when they are added to the home screen.

Opera however says that it is still tweaking how often the dialogue appears, to keep it from feeling too intrusive.

Bovens explained, "Unlike the 'install our app' banners plaguing the mobile Web, this dialogue is only shown if the user positively engages with the site in question, and it incentivises Web owners to start implementing progressive Web app technologies." The company has also included experimental Web Bluetooth support in the latest update.