Verified Sep 2026

ActiveChromium engine 25/30 documented

Opera Air

An Opera variant built around scheduled breaks, breathing exercises, and background audio, aimed at attention rather than features.

Published by Opera (Norway) · Verified September 2026

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Runs on

macOSmacOS: Available
WindowsWindows: Available
LinuxLinux: Unknown
AndroidAndroid: Unavailable
iOSiOS: Unavailable

Choose it when

Choose Opera Air if you want Opera's feature set plus built-in prompts to stop, and you will actually use the breaks rather than dismiss them.

Avoid it when

Avoid it if wellbeing features feel like friction, or if you need a mobile build or Linux support.

Quick answers

Read straight off the verified record - every one of these is expanded with its source below.

Which platforms does Opera Air run on?: Documented on macOS and Windows. Not available on Android and iOS.
Can I install Chrome extensions?: Yes - the Chrome Web Store is supported.
Does it block trackers out of the box?: Yes - tracker or ad blocking is on by default. Opera's tracker and ad blocking is included.
Does it have built-in AI features?: Yes - 4 of 9 documented AI capabilities are built in.
Is it open source?: Proprietary browser built on open-source Chromium
Is it still being developed?: Active - Released as a distinct Opera product and updated alongside the Opera family.

What Opera Air does

Open any row for the wording and the source behind it

Privacy and tracking

2 built in · 2 undocumented

Blocks trackers by defaultBlocks trackers by default: Built in
Opera's tracker and ad blocking is included.
Anti-fingerprintingAnti-fingerprinting: Unknown
Telemetry postureTelemetry posture: Unknown
Built-in VPN or proxyBuilt-in VPN or proxy: Built in
Opera's browser VPN feature is included.
Private windowsA private mode is available, inherited from the Opera base.
A private mode is available, inherited from the Opera base.
Default search engineConfigurable

Extensions and blocking

3 built in · 1 not available · 1 undocumented

Chrome Web StoreChrome Web Store: Supported
Firefox Add-onsFirefox Add-ons: Unsupported
Native content blockingNative content blocking: Built in
Blocking is built in.
Manifest V3Manifest V3: Built in
Chromium extension support is present.
Manifest V2Manifest V2: Unknown
Manifest policy is not documented separately.
Known limitationsExtension behaviour follows the Opera and Chromium base.
Extension behaviour follows the Opera and Chromium base.

Workflow

6 built in · 4 not available · 1 undocumented

Vertical tabsVertical tabs: Unavailable
Tab treesTab trees: Unavailable
Workspaces or spacesWorkspaces or spaces: Built in
Opera's workspaces are included.
ProfilesProfiles: Built in
Profiles or equivalent browser identities are available.
Split viewSplit view: Unavailable
SidebarSidebar: Built in
A sidebar is part of the Opera interface.
Reader modeReader mode: Unknown
Reader mode is not documented.
Command paletteCommand palette: Unavailable
Sync across devicesSync across devices: Built in
Opera account sync is available.
TranslationTranslation: Built in
A built-in translation feature is documented.
Progressive web appsProgressive web apps: Built in
Progressive web apps are supported by the Chromium install flow.

AI features

4 built in · 5 not available

Built-in assistantBuilt-in assistant: Built in
Opera's assistant is included.
Page summarisationPage summarisation: Built in
Summarisation is documented in the Opera family.
Acts on pages for youActs on pages for you: Unavailable
AI answer engineAI answer engine: Unavailable
Works across open tabsWorks across open tabs: Unavailable
Text or image generationText or image generation: Built in
Opera AI documents text and image generation, including wallpapers.
Choice of modelChoice of model: Unavailable
Retention or training controlsRetention or training controls: Unavailable
Voice or image inputVoice or image input: Built in
Speech-to-text input and read-aloud output are documented.

On a phone

10 undocumented

Undocumented is not the same as absent - it means the publisher does not state it.

Extensions on mobileExtensions on mobile: Unknown
Extension support on mobile is not documented.
Can be the phone defaultCan be the phone default: Not applicable
Biometric lockBiometric lock: Unknown
Biometric locking is not documented.
Offline readingOffline reading: Unknown
Offline reading is not documented.
Desktop-site modeDesktop-site mode: Unknown
Desktop-site mode is not documented.
Download managerDownload manager: Unknown
A built-in download manager is not documented.
Background playbackBackground playback: Unknown
Background or picture-in-picture playback is not documented.
Web pushWeb push: Unknown
Web push support is not documented.
Data saverData saver: Unknown
Address-bar placementAddress-bar placement: Unknown
Address-bar placement is not documented.

Under the hood

Rendering engine: Chromium
JavaScript engine: V8
Upstream project: Chromium
Release channel: stable
Code and licence: Proprietary browser built on open-source Chromium
Install method: Direct download from Opera.
Hardware support: Desktop builds target current 64-bit hardware.

Source repository

Active. Released as a distinct Opera product and updated alongside the Opera family.

Editorial view

Opera Air is Opera One with a different premise. The browser underneath is the same Chromium base with Opera's blocking, VPN, workspaces, sidebar, sync, and assistant. What is added is a set of features designed to interrupt you: scheduled breaks, breathing and meditation exercises, and background audio intended to support focus.

The only browser that wants you to stop

Every other entry in this directory optimises for capability, speed, privacy, or control. This one takes the position that the constraint worth addressing is the user's attention, and builds accordingly. Whether that is valuable is genuinely personal and not something a specification table can settle. For someone who loses hours to a browser without noticing, a prompt that arrives on schedule may be the most useful feature in this entire directory. For someone who will dismiss it reflexively within a week, it is a novelty attached to a browser they could have had anyway. Behavioural interventions only work for people who want to be intervened with.

The practical facts

macOS and Windows builds are available; Linux is not clearly documented, and there is no mobile build
Opera's tracker and ad blocking and browser VPN are included; Chrome Web Store extensions work
Workspaces, sidebar, and sync carry over from Opera One
The assistant includes summaries, text and image generation, and voice input and read-aloud
Telemetry posture and fingerprinting resistance are unknown, the same shape as the Opera base

The missing mobile build deserves emphasis for a wellbeing product, since phones are where most people's attention actually goes. Weigh that honestly before adopting it as a serious attention tool rather than a desktop experiment.

The verdict

If the wellbeing features are the reason you are interested, try it: they cost nothing to test and the browser underneath is a known quantity. If you are interested in Opera's features generally, Opera One gives you the same browser without the additional layer, and is the more sensible default. Air is free like Opera One, syncs through the same account, and imports from it in one step, so the experiment costs a lunch break. If the break reminders stick for a month, keep it; if you catch yourself dismissing them unread, you have your answer.

Where these facts come from

Every capability above is read from a primary source and dated. 5 of 30 fields stay recorded as unknown rather than assumed.

Opera Air official page
Product scope and platform availability.
Verified Sep 2026

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