PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing.

Opera Launches Free VPN App for iOS

The app blocks ads, prevents trackers from following you around the Web, and lets you access blocked websites.

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

Our Expert
LOOK INSIDE PC LABS HOW WE TEST
65 EXPERTS
43 YEARS
41,500+ REVIEWS

Opera is bringing its free VPN to iOS.

The app, launched Monday, blocks ads in Safari, Chrome, and other apps; prevents trackers from following you around the Web; and lets you access blocked websites. You can change your virtual location by connecting to one of five regions and borrowing an IP address from that area. Right now, you can choose among the US, Canada, Germany, Singapore, or The Netherlands, but Opera said more locations are "coming soon."

The app comes just weeks after Opera added an unlimited and free virtual private network to its browser. Both products were built by SurfEasy, the VPN company Opera acquired last year.

Opera VPN for iOS creates a secure tunnel between you and SurfEasy's servers, making it more difficult for sites to track you around the Web. The ad-blocking feature, meanwhile, promises to save you some time, frustration, and battery life.

On the down side, however, SurfEasy President Chris Houston said the company will likely introduce advertising into the app in the future. "This is just the same as playing a free game that has ads — we get paid by advertisers based on our users' engagement with their ads," Houston wrote in a blog post Monday.

Users should also be aware that the app collects anonymous data about how you use your mobile device, and Opera will make this information available to third parties.

"It's important to understand that this is not data about what you do with your phone, but rather this is data about how a large group of people use their phones," Houston wrote. "It's very much like taking part in a  survey — there is very little value in your personal answers since your answers may not be representative of the larger population."

Meanwhile, if you're an Android user in need of a free VPN, don't feel too left out. Houston said support for Google's mobile OS is coming soon.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

Read full bio