Opera released its One R3 browser update on January 15, adding names and colors for Tab Islands, a redesigned AI panel and Gmail and Google Calendar in the sidebar. The release focuses on keeping related work together. A four-tab version of Split Screen is also arriving, initially through the browser’s Early Bird testing mode.
The release announcement separates features available in the main browser from experiments users must enable. That distinction matters if you install the update specifically to compare four pages at once.
Tab groups gain names that survive a crowded session
Tab Islands already collect related pages into groups. R3 lets users label each group and assign a color, making a collapsed collection easier to recognize. A research session can keep reference pages together while a separate island holds the documents needed to finish a task.
Gmail and Calendar can now sit in Opera’s sidebar. Their panels can be resized or pinned while another page remains open. Having those services visible does not automatically give Opera’s AI access to them, according to the company.
The browser also adds a built-in page translator and changes Easy Files so users can select several files from a larger attachment panel.
Contextual AI remains optional
The AI interface moves into a side panel and can use the current page or Tab Island as context. Opera says users must enable the feature and allow page access; the context switch can be turned off before sending a prompt. The announcement says general browsing history is not sent to its AI engine.
That gives the update two useful entry points: organize tabs without AI, or enable contextual help for a specific collection of pages. A browser summary still needs checking against the pages it summarizes, particularly when a comparison turns on a small detail.
Early Bird brings experimental features into the main browser. At launch, the expanded Split Screen supports up to four tabs through that mode, with wider availability planned. Users who depend on a stable daily workspace can leave those experiments disabled.
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