Opera announced today that its free, built-in VPN for desktop can now automatically activate when users connect to public or unsecured Wi-Fi networks. Here are the details.
Since 2016, the Opera browser has offered a free, built-in VPN. The company says this builds on its core belief that “making basic online privacy accessible to everyone.”
In recent years, VPNs have gone from being a relatively niche privacy tool to something much more mainstream. Still, according to data from We Are Social’s Digital 2026 Mid-Year Global Update Report, only 23% of internet users aged 16 and older use a VPN for at least some of their online activities.
That is a problem, particularly for users who rely on public Wi-Fi for work or while traveling.
Today, Opera announced that users in the US and France can opt to have its built-in VPN turn on automatically whenever they connect to a public or unsecured Wi-Fi network.
Public Wi-Fi networks are notoriously vulnerable to snooping and data interception. Opera’s browser VPN now removes manual friction by automatically activating when detecting public or unsecured Wi-Fi networks. Users can study, work, manage finances, or browse without having to remember to turn on protection manually. To respect user agency, the feature remains strictly opt-in and can be easily toggled within settings. This functionality is rolling out today to Opera users in the US and France.
Opera notes that its “free VPN operates under strict GDPR laws,” adding that it “has been independently audited by Deloitte.” The company also stresses that the VPN is part of a broader set of built-in privacy tools, alongside Opera’s native Ad Blocker and Tracker Blocker.
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Marcus Mendes is a Brazilian tech podcaster and journalist who has been closely following Apple since the mid-2000s.
He began covering Apple news in Brazilian media in 2012 and later broadened his focus to the wider tech industry, hosting a daily podcast for seven years.
