Opera is also one of the most popular web browser famous for its simple neat interface, speed dial and Opera turbo. You can configure Opera for maximum privacy by changing some options from default settings. The default settings are good in most cases but a user can further configure Opera to get the best out of it. This also ensures that you’re always protected when browsing online.
Disable Opera Turbo
Opera Turbo uses compression technology that boosts your webpage download speed on limited-bandwidth connections – for example, when using a slow dial-up modem. The same feature is also offered by Opera’s mobile browser. It uses Opera’s own proxy servers to speed up web browsing and these proxy servers in turn compress web pages before you receive them thereby saving download time. Its worth noting that Opera does not proxy encrypted connections (HTTPS).
To disable Opera Turbo, from the status bar click on Opera Turbo’s icon and then on Configure Opera Turbo.
Now you’ll be able to configure Opera Turbo. You can set Opera to enable this feature automatically when slow network is detected, enable or disable this feature. Click on OFF to disable Opera Turbo.
This feature can help you if you’re on slower connections but if you’re already on fast connection, then you can disable Opera Turbo thereby preventing all of your browsing activity from going through Opera’s proxy servers.
Disable Cookies
Cookies are not bad always. Some websites use cookies to store legitimate information like login credentials and for storing website preferences. But cookies are often used by advertisers also to track you online. If you’re concerned about privacy of your browsing then its a good idea to reject or never accept cookies.
Press the shortcut key Ctrl + F12 to open preferences. Click on Cookies in the sidebar to view settings related to cookies. Select “Accept cookies only from the site I visit” option to accept cookies from only the websites that you visit and reject third-part cookies which are often used by advertisers.
Select “Never accept cookies” to never accept cookies from any website. You can also check mark “Delete new cookies when exiting Opera” to enable cookies but delete them every time you exit Opera.
Enable/Disable Search Suggestions
Like many other browsers, Opera also sends each keystroke that you type in the search box to your default search engine. Search engine then responds by presenting suggestions related to your keystroke.
Press the shortcut key Ctrl + F12 to open preferences. Select the Search tab and then remove the check mark “Enable search suggestions”.
Opera Private Browsing
Like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, Opera too offers a feature to browse privately, without leaving any trace. When you close a private tab, the following data related to the tab is deleted:
- browsing history
- items in cache
- cookies
- logins
To open private browsing tab, press Ctrl + Shift + N or click on Opera menu > Tabs and Windows > New Private Tab. For now there is no way to set Opera to always open private tab by default but this shortcut key should help you open private tab in a breeze.
Fraud and Malware Protection in Opera
Hidden deep within, this Fraud and Malware Protection feature is already enabled by default. This helps in warning the user when he/she visits the fraudulent website or a site that contains malware.
For this feature to work, Opera checks each domain name that you visit. This is processed through Opera’s servers. As per Opera, they don’t track you when this feature is enabled.
To enable or disable this feature, open Preferences > Advanced > Security and check mark “Enable Fraud and Malware Protection”.
Go ahead and configure Opera as per these settings to configure it for maximum privacy.
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