HOW TO Get to grips with Opera GX

Instant messaging

At the bottom of the Opera GX sidebar, click the “…” button. Under Messengers, click the button next to one you want to install (or “Show more” for extra apps). Click the messenger icon in the sidebar, and log in.

Twitch support

Click the Twitch icon in the sidebar and follow the on–screen prompts to log in to that. You’ll now see accounts you follow in the sidebar. Click one to start watching, or click the cog to adjust Twitch sidebar settings.

Music players

Below the Twitch icon, click the player button. Here, you can connect to Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, and more. You can use more than one at once — simply click the music app dropdown in the top left to switch.

Get a new look

Click the settings button in the top right. At the top, you can choose a light or dark mode. There are a range of themes that can be tweaked by clicking Configuration. You can also add custom wallpapers to new tabs.

Ambient sounds

Scroll down the settings to the Features section. Here you can enable browser sounds, such as a typewriter effect when you enter text, and a range of ambient background music. Click Configuration for more options.

Privacy settings

Below Features, you’ll find Privacy & Security. From here you can enable Opera GX’s built–in ad and tracking blockers. There’s also a shortcut to its VPN, and a one–click way to clear your browsing data.

GX Corner

In the app’s top left is a controller icon for the GX Corner. This is like a start page for games, with info on upcoming game releases (filtered by platform, including Mac), videos, free games, deals, and more.

GX Control

Returning to the left sidebar, click the speedometer icon. This is GX Control, which contains toggles and sliders to limit Opera GX’s memory, network, and CPU usage. You can also kill resource–hogging browser tabs.

GX Cleaner

Click the broom icon in the sidebar to open GX Cleaner. This clears various browsing data, such as the cache, cookies, browsing history, and more. You can customize it or choose from the Min, Med, or Max presets.