Opera's Reborn Browser for Desktops Gets Social Messenger Integration

Opera on Wednesday unveiled its completely revamped its desktop browser for Windows, MacOS, and Linux. Codenamed 'Reborn', it brings the best of its experimental concept Neon browser to the stable version for desktops. One of the highlight features is integration with social messengers that allows users to engage in conversations while browsing the Internet.

While switching between the tabs to use different messengers can often prove to be a cumbersome task, Opera's Reborn browser aims to ease up the process by allowing users to "chat side-by-side as they browse."

With Opera's Reborn browser, users get quick access to Web versions of popular messengers including Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Telegram directly from the browser's sidebar. Apart from the sidebar integration, the browser allows users to pin the messenger tab for easier multitasking and shortcuts for easy switch between the messengers.

The new browser from Opera allows users to share pictures easily by simply dragging any online picture to the icon of the preferred messenger, as per the company's release. The browser also comes with a menu button that allows users to log out from the messengers.

"Social messengers completely changed our lives by allowing us to work, discover new things and communicate at the same time," Krystian Kolondra, head of Opera browser, was quoted as saying in Opera's release. "This shift has come with smartphones, but desktops and laptops, while theoretically more powerful multitasking tools, have been left behind. We believe this needs to change," he said.

Earlier this year, Opera launched its Neon concept browser, which allowed users to switch between "discovering new content and chatting with friends, or even sharing online discoveries while browsing," as per company. Now, these features are being carried forward by the company into its new Reborn beta build.

"Reborn is incrementally redesigning the entirety of Opera's user experience. In this release, in addition to the new messenger experience, it brings a fresh look, new icons, colours, wallpapers and a touch of animation," Opera said in its release.

The new Opera browser is available in two themes - light and dark - as seen above. Users can also select a background. Both these features can be managed from the new 'customised start page' or via browser settings.