On Tuesday, Opera put hard numbers behind a claim Apple rivals have made for years: when iPhone users are shown or sold a clearer browser alternative, some of them move.
Opera said Opera One for iOS monthly active users rose 93% in the UK and 50% in the US during Q2 2026 versus the same quarter last year, according to 9to5Mac . The timing matters because Opera is tying this US and UK momentum to a broader post-Digital Markets Act pattern in Europe, where browser-choice prompts gave alternative browsers more visibility on iOS, alongside wider scrutiny such as Apple DOJ antitrust ammo.
The careful read: this is not proof that Opera is overtaking Apple’s browser position on iPhone. Opera did not disclose absolute user counts or market share. But it is evidence that iOS browser choice is becoming more contestable in mature, high-value markets — and that feature-heavy challengers can pull users without owning the default slot.
July 14 report: Opera’s iPhone growth is stronger in the UK than the US
Opera’s Tuesday release breaks out growth by market and platform. The sharpest iOS number came from the UK, where Opera One for iOS MAUs grew 93% year over year in Q2 2026. In the US, iOS MAUs grew 50%.
The combined mobile numbers were also strong. Opera said Android and iOS MAUs together rose 66% in the UK and 40% in the US year over year. The company described the US and UK as “the world’s most competitive and high-value consumer markets” in its press release.
| Market | Opera One for iOS MAU growth | Opera One for Android MAU growth | Combined mobile MAU growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | 50% | 30% | 40% |
| UK | 93% | 50% | 66% |
Percentage growth needs discipline. A browser can post high growth from a smaller base, and Opera gave no baseline user count. That makes this a momentum story, not a dominance story.
Still, monthly active users are a more meaningful signal than downloads alone. MAUs imply repeat use within a month. They do not reveal daily engagement, revenue per user, whether users changed their default browser, or whether Opera is being used as a primary browser versus a task-specific second option.
That distinction matters for Apple-platform analysis. As we have seen across iOS coverage, including Apple’s own late-cycle maintenance work in Beta 5 Puts iOS 26.6 in iPhone Cleanup Mode Before iOS 27, small changes in platform behavior can shape how apps compete for attention. Opera’s numbers suggest users are at least willing to test that boundary in browsers.
The post-DMA sequence now reaches beyond Europe
Opera linked its latest US and UK gains to momentum it reported after the EU’s 2024 Digital Markets Act, which introduced a browser-choice ballot screen for iOS users and gave Android users more visibility into browser options.
The company said Opera One for iOS grew 42% across Europe during the last year, with France up 103%. That European figure is the clearest causal backdrop in Opera’s narrative: regulation improved discovery, users tried alternatives, and some stayed.
“Our growth comes from people purposefully choosing us,” said Jørgen Arnesen, EVP Mobile at Opera. “What we’re seeing now is that growth is spreading to the US and the UK. People are finding their way to us on their own, which tells us the product is doing the work.”
That quote is doing two jobs. First, it argues that Opera’s gains are not only a regulatory artifact. Second, it pushes the story from acquisition to retention.
MLXIO analysis: the strongest version of Opera’s case is not “choice screens create growth.” It is “choice screens expose users to alternatives, but product features decide whether those users remain active.” The source supports the first half through the DMA timeline and the second through Opera’s retention framing, though it does not publish cohort data to prove it.
The features Opera says are keeping new mobile users active
Opera attributes retention to a bundle of built-in tools rather than one flagship feature. The company highlighted:
- VPN: a “no-log, free, unlimited VPN with no subscription or data cap”
- Ad blocker: a native blocker meant to cut load times and reduce clutter
- Tab management: automatic grouping through Tab Islands and instant tab search
- Browser AI: built-in AI for search, content generation, and answers inside the browser
The latest Opera One for iOS update adds a new synchronization system for tabs, bookmarks, and passwords between desktop and iPhone. It also adds media controls in the tab interface, so users can identify tabs playing sound and mute or unmute them. Opera said its browser AI now supports multimodal prompts and file uploads directly from iPhone.
That matters because Opera is not pitching iOS users on browser rendering alone. It is packaging the browser as a utility layer: privacy controls, AI prompts, tab hygiene, sync, and media management in one app.
This is where the iPhone software cycle becomes relevant without overstating the connection. Apple’s platform changes often reset user habits at the margin, whether through system updates or feature refreshes; MLXIO’s recent coverage of iOS 27 Beta 3 Lets AirPods Users Dial Out the World shows how Apple keeps tightening the device experience around native features. Opera is trying the opposite route: add enough browser-native utility that users open a separate app by choice.
Android’s football hub shows Opera’s retention strategy outside iOS
Opera’s release also included a useful Android detail. Opera for Android, which recently reached its 100th version, shipped a redesigned start page and a dedicated football hub with live scores, match stats, and player pages.
Since that feature launched, Opera said there has been a 70% increase in visitors to the scores section compared with levels normally seen during the English Premier League season. The company said those users are seeking goal alerts, match stats, and commentary.
This is not an iPhone data point, but it clarifies Opera’s broader product thesis. Opera is building more task-specific functions directly into the browser instead of asking users to install another app or add-on. On iOS, that means AI, sync, VPN, ad blocking, and tab controls. On Android, it can mean sports content embedded into the start page.
MLXIO analysis: Opera is treating the browser less like a neutral address bar and more like a recurring-use surface. If that works, the company does not need every user to abandon their current habits wholesale. It needs enough repeated use cases to lift MAUs and eventually deepen engagement.
The missing numbers decide whether this is a spike or a durable shift
Opera’s reported growth is directionally important, but the release leaves several questions unanswered.
The company did not disclose:
- Absolute MAUs for iOS in the US or UK
- Market share changes against other browsers
- Daily active users or session frequency
- Retention cohorts after first install
- Revenue impact from the mobile growth
- Default-browser conversion on iPhone
Those omissions do not weaken the reported figures. They limit what can be concluded from them.
For Opera, the next proof point is whether Q2 2026 becomes a base for further MAU growth rather than a temporary comparison spike. Evidence that would strengthen the thesis: continued year-over-year gains, higher engagement disclosures, more users syncing desktop and iPhone data, or more feature-specific usage numbers like the Android football hub’s 70% scores-section increase.
Evidence that would weaken it: slowing MAU growth, no sign of repeat engagement, or growth concentrated in users who try Opera once but do not make it part of their monthly routine.
Opera has shown that iPhone users in the US and UK can be moved toward an alternative browser. The next test is harder: turning that curiosity into a durable habit.
The Bottom Line
- Opera’s gains suggest iPhone browser choice is becoming more competitive in the US and UK.
- The UK’s 93% iOS MAU growth points to stronger momentum than in the US.
- Opera did not disclose absolute users or market share, so the growth does not prove it is challenging Safari’s dominance.
