Opera One R3 Launches With 'Tab-Aware' AI, 4-Way Split Screen, and Customizable Tab Islands [Download]

Opera is rolling out a major update to its Opera One browser today, dubbed "R3." The release focuses on refining the modular design introduced last year, with new tab management tools and a rebuilt, context-aware AI experience.



Managing a chaotic tab bar is a constant struggle for many users, and Opera's solution has been Tab Islands—groups that form automatically based on your browsing habits. With R3, those islands become much more distinct. You can now assign specific colors and custom names to each group, making it easier to spot your "Work" stack versus your "Travel" research without clicking through. A quick hover over the island handle is all it takes to bring up the customization menu.



Opera has also rebuilt its browser AI, adopting an agentic-based engine from Opera Neon and claiming responses are about 20 percent faster. More importantly, the assistant can now use your currently open tab or Tab Island as context for answers. Opera has moved the experience to an "AI" button in the top-right corner that opens a dedicated side panel, letting you chat about what's on screen without covering it up. It follows Opera's recent integration of Google's Gemini models to challenge native options like ChatGPT Atlas.



For users on larger displays, the Split Screen feature is expanding beyond two tabs. You can now snap up to four tabs into a single grid, dragging and dropping them to arrange a layout that fits the task at hand. It's a power-user feature that effectively turns the browser window into a tiled workspace for comparisons, research, and writing.



The sidebar is also getting more capable with native support for Google Services. Instead of keeping Gmail or Google Calendar open in pinned tabs, you can access them directly from a resizable side panel and even pin it open while you browse. Opera is also updating Easy Files, adding a toolbar option for the Music Player, and introducing a built-in webpage translator.


Finally, Opera is simplifying how it handles beta testing. A new "Early Bird" toggle in settings lets users try experimental features within the main browser build. As a result, the standalone Opera Beta browser will be discontinued, with support ending January 14, 2026.


Opera One R3 is available for download now on macOS, Windows, and Linux.

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