VPN Extension for Opera
The vpn.now extension for Opera is an encrypted proxy that protects your browsing inside Opera. Other apps on your device stay uncovered. To cover the entire device, run the full vpn.now app instead.
Get the vpn.now app for Opera
The fastest way to get started is our app: install it, sign in, and press connect. The manual steps below are here if you would rather set things up by hand.
Set up vpn.now on Opera
The whole process takes about five minutes. You will need a free vpn.now account before you start.
Step 1: Install from Opera add-ons
Open the Opera add-ons site, search for vpn.now, and click Add to Opera. The extension icon shows up beside the address bar once it is installed.
Step 2: Sign in to your vpn.now account
Click the icon and log in with your vpn.now email and password. The extension takes one device slot on your plan, the same as any phone or computer.
Step 3: Pick a location
Select a server location. Closer servers are faster. Choose a specific country when you want your Opera traffic to come from that place.
Step 4: Switch it on
Turn the toggle on. The icon confirms the proxy is active, and your Opera browsing now travels through the encrypted connection.
Prefer to configure things by hand? See the manual setup guide.
What the extension protects, and where it stops
Turn the extension on and your Opera browsing goes through an encrypted proxy. Websites see the proxy server's address instead of your IP. The network you are connected to sees encrypted data going to one place, not a list of the sites you visit. DNS lookups for your browsing pass through the proxy too.
The protection ends at the edge of the browser. Anything else on your device, from a desktop email app to a game launcher, connects the way it always has. No browser extension can cover those, because extensions only ever see browser traffic.
If you want the entire device behind a tunnel, that is a job for the full vpn.now app and our VPN protocol. Find your platform on the vpn.now apps page.
How this differs from Opera's built-in VPN
Opera ships its own free feature that it calls a browser VPN. To be fair to Opera, that tool is also a browser proxy, just like our extension. Neither one is a system-wide VPN. The difference is in what stands behind the proxy and what you can choose.
With vpn.now you pick from our full server network, you know who runs the servers, and our data practices are published in plain language. We do not store browsing activity, DNS queries, or traffic contents, and our transparency page lists exactly what we keep and for how long. You also get the same account across the extension and the full apps.
If a free option is what you are after, compare honestly. Our own free plan covers one device with a data cap and the same data practices as the paid plans.
How the extension connects
The extension sends your browsing through an encrypted HTTPS proxy. Opera passes traffic to the extension, the extension seals it with TLS encryption, and a vpn.now proxy server carries it to the open internet. The reply comes back through the same protected path.
Our full apps work differently. They use a system tunnel, which carries every packet from the operating system itself, covering all apps at once. The proxy covers only the browser, which is why we never call the extension a full VPN. New to all of this? Our plain-language guide to what a VPN is sorts out tunnels, proxies, and what each one protects.
What you need
- Opera on Windows, macOS, or Linux
- A vpn.now account, free or paid
- Permission to install extensions in your Opera profile
Having trouble? Our setup help section covers the most common issues, or you can contact support.
Opera VPN questions
Does this cover my whole computer?
No. The extension protects Opera traffic only. Other apps connect outside the proxy. For full coverage, use the vpn.now app for your operating system, which runs a system tunnel.
Is this the same as Opera's built-in VPN?
They are the same kind of tool. Both are browser proxies, not system-wide VPNs. Ours connects to the vpn.now server network, uses your vpn.now account, and follows our published data practices.
Does the free plan include the extension?
Yes. The free plan covers one device, and the extension counts as your device. If you want the extension plus a full app running elsewhere, pick a paid plan with more device slots.
Do you store what I do in my browser?
Never. Your browsing, your DNS requests, and the contents of your traffic are not stored at all. We keep aggregate connection counts for 30 days to operate the service, and nothing more. See the transparency page for the full list.
Will it make Opera slower?
There can be a small slowdown, since traffic makes an extra stop at the proxy and gets encrypted on the way. Choose a nearby server and most browsing feels the same as before.
Does it work in Opera GX?
Yes. Opera GX uses the same extension engine as regular Opera, so the vpn.now extension installs and runs the same way. It protects your GX browsing traffic, though not the separate apps pinned in the GX sidebar, which connect on their own.
Protect your Opera device today
Set up takes minutes. vpn.now is free, with unlimited data and no card needed.
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