One thing I'd like to suggest for future reference:
Leave the Cat alone! Leave it enabled by default, as I'm sure it has grown on people overtime, is also great as a distraction and is kind of like a part of the furniture.

It is fascinating to me that you are so eager to get people integrated into the Google ecosystem. If you really want people to be so enmeshed with Google, you might just suggest to them that they download and use Google Chrome, and be done with it. The new Opera is already 90% Chromium anyway. And you're foisting Google on us almost as much as Chrome does.

Of course Google is paying you to do that. Because it's in Google's interests to wean people off of competitors to Google, which include...Opera.

Many default aspects of Speed Dial are rather obnoxious anyway. It's like trying to drive through a peaceful area and being assaulted by advertising billboards. I do like being able to save tabs to Speed Dial folders. Much of the rest is too marketing-intensive, and more in line with paying your bills than enhancing the user experience. I do like to know the weather in Oslo (yes, I keep it set to that because it's much more fun).

What could be useful though is to let users set up multiple search bars there, so we would have one page we could use to search whatever search engine we want. That could also include a shopping-specific URL or a finance-specific URL or an image-specific URL for a search engine (maybe even expanded from the main search engine's category there).

Configurable. Not just Google's way or the highway.

I search Google at times. I'm not above that. But it's already easy to do in Opera by typing "g" in the URL bar. I hardly see why you need to include a Google-only branded search query bar in the Speed Dial, other than that Google is paying you to do it, and has deeper pockets than DuckDuckGo or Ecosia or Kagi or...

Google is like Trump in that it has a giant ego and likes to plaster its name everywhere. Did it ever occur to you that maybe advertising Google, which makes the world's standard browser, could actually be counter to your own interests? If everyone just embraces Google, then Opera doesn't even exist.

It's like if RC Cola put an ad for Coke on their own can. Of course this would benefit Coke more than it would RC. I'm not saying you need to anger the Omnipotent Google gods, I'm just saying, you don't have to act like their little b----, either.

Just my couple of cents. One day Google's AI will probably blow up the planet. In the meantime I'd like to be able to at least pretend that I can hide from our Google Overseers, once in awhile.

I've used Opera for many years, so I do thank you for your efforts.

Then, somewhere around version 30 or 31, the powers that be decided to remove the thumbnails from Speed Dial and replace them with… whatever those little blocks are called. A questionable decision, but fine — I moved on.
A few months ago I thought I'd give Opera Air a shot. At that stage there was no dark mode, so I instantly lost interest and went straight back to Brave, Chrome, and whatever other Chromium-based browsers I normally use. Nothing to see here.

Then, a few days ago, I stumbled across a notification from a post I'd made on this very forum and decided to give Opera Air another look. And I have to admit — congratulations. It looks absolutely stunning. It's fast, it works, and it feels like everything I've come to expect from an Opera product. I was genuinely impressed.

And then I tried to use Speed Dial.

Which brings me to my question — and excuse my language — how the f**k am I supposed to know which links I've added to my Speed Dial? Because apparently, somewhere between building a gorgeous browser and shipping it, the creative team forgot that humans are, in fact, visual creatures. To add insult to injury, nobody on the development or creative team had the initiative to pull the favicon of the site being added to the Speed Dial tile — you know, that tiny little icon that every other browser on the planet has managed to implement without breaking a sweat. Instead, what we get is a random assortment of letters and numbers. That's it. That's the feature. How exactly am I supposed to memorize what I've added?

So can someone from Opera please explain to me what the reasoning was behind stripping out the very things that made this browser stand out in the first place? Because if this is the full extent of what your development and creative teams are capable of, it might be time to have a very serious conversation about staffing.

This is, without question, the most baffling thing I've ever seen in a browser — and I've been around long enough to remember the first versions of Netscape & Explorer.

See image attached for context.!
opera (Medium).png

I have made a number of my own Speed Dial Icons for use with Opera One in Windows.
In Gimp my master file is 900 Pixels Wide x 540 Pixels High at 300 Pixels Per Inch or 118 Pixels Per Cm RGB Colour Space.
I have Guides Left and Right 43 Pixels in from each edge and 80 Pixels from the Top and Bottom.
Within the guides I place anything that is Super Critical text etc.
I export the Icons as flattened PNG files.
I also have used Inkscape to create Icons and and used the 900x540 Dimensions and guides though with Inkscape being Vector you do not specify resolution until exporting the PNG files.

We totally understand that changes like this can be frustrating, especially when you’ve grown fond of a specific tool!

To give you a bit of context: Aria has evolved into our new AI Chat. While the interface looks different, it’s actually a more powerful version of the assistant you're used to. We made this switch to support more advanced features that the older version simply couldn't handle anymore.

You can find a quick guide on how the new AI Chat works here: opera.com/features/browser-ai. Give it a try—we hope it’ll grow on you just as much as Aria did!

Thank you for reaching out! We're glad to hear you're enjoying Opera AIR.

Regarding the RAM usage, please know that this is something we continuously monitor and work to optimize. You can expect improvements in the near future.

As for the inconsistencies with the dark UI, we are aware of it and working on it for some time already - we plane to release changes within the next few weeks. Stay tuned for updates! 🙂

Thanks again for your valuable feedback!

I'm experimenting with something new and need your help.
There are some features that are different, and before releasing them, we'd love to get your opinion.

Okay, here’s the first one.

During the lack of dark mode, many users complained about eye strain caused by the browser. I'd like to keep improving your eye health and have come up with the feature described below.

For now, we call it Eye Support.

You can enable it in the easy setup. By default, it will slightly reduce blue light and brightness. However, you can also go to settings and make your own adjustments to light and colors.

Easy setup:

Settings:

If you want to know more about the effects each mode provides, here’s a description:

Emerald Evokes the rich, soothing quality of the color green, often associated with nature, peace, and tranquility. Emerald Mode creates a visually calming experience, perfect for relaxation.

Soothing Creates a calm and gentle visual experience, reducing eye strain and discomfort. Soothing Mode is most useful in the morning or evening, and for users with sensitive eye conditions.

Vibrant Emphasizes the intensity and energy of colors, making the visual experience dynamic and exciting. Vibrant Mode is perfect for gaming, watching movies, and boosting dynamic visuals.

Monochrome Displays shades of black and white for low-light conditions. Monochrome Mode is excellent for reading text or reducing stimulation before sleep.

Inverted Replaces each color with its opposite on the color wheel. Inverted Mode is extremely useful for identifying color imbalances when editing images, designs, or video.

So, what do you think?

I appreciate the feedback.

https://forums.opera.com/topic/86369/opera-air-update-9-dark-mode-opera-air-welcomes-the-longer-nights-with-dark-ambience/8