Opera has been on something of a privacy kick recently. The web browser for power users recently added a free VPN to its developer version, allowing users to bypass firewalls and browse securely without paying a dime. Today, the company unveiled a standalone app for iOS that does the same thing, called simply Opera VPN. It’s available now, for free, and it’s pretty awesome.
The app is powered by the SurfEasy VPN service, which is based in the US and was acquired by Opera last March. That service requires a paid subscription after an initial free trial, but Opera VPN is entirely free and unlimited. Most other VPN apps on iOS operate on a similar basis, including my own former favourite TunnelBear.
The app also blocks ads, meaning it might be useful even if you don’t want to use the VPN section of the app. Opera doesn’t drop in advertisements of its own, but hasn’t ruled out doing so in the future.
The app comes with four regions at the moment: the United States, Canada, Germany and Singapore. I’ve been using the Singpore end node from China, and generally I’ve found it fast and stable (although an end-node in nearer Hong Kong would be equally free from The Great Firewall and a bit faster). I have had some connection issues initially, but these appeared to have settled down.
If you need a VPN to bypass firewall restrictions or increase your privacy, then Opera’s free VPN app is well worth trying. It’s available now in the App Store, so check it out! You can also download the developer version of the Opera browser for Mac or Windows to try its integrated VPN too.