After more than a month of no updates, Opera finally released two fresh updates for its browser on iOS. The big update went live as version 6.7.0, followed by a minor patch as version 6.7.1. It’s unclear what exactly the patch fixes, so we’ll be focusing on the new features that arrived with the 6.7.0 build.
For starters, Opera now lets you force background media playback. If you’ve ever tried listening to music or even watching a podcast on YouTube without the Premium tier, you’ll know how frustrating it is to have to keep the app open for media playback.
Other browsers like Brave are already being used as a popular workaround for this issue, but Opera is finally catching up. This means you can put on a song or podcast on YouTube, switch tabs, or even switch to another app and still have the media play in the background. I’ve tested it and can confirm it works as expected.
Then, if you often find yourself frustrated by websites suddenly opening up an app instead of letting you continue browsing in the browser itself, you’ll be happy with the new pop-up in Opera, which lets you choose whether you want the site to open the app or continue in the browser. It even remembers your choice so that you don’t have to keep choosing each time.
Another nifty quality-of-life feature that has been added to Opera is the ability to mute any website that you feel starts playing media without your permission. Again, once muted, the browser will remember your choice and always mute the site when you open it, unless you choose otherwise.
Opera has also decided to tweak how the AI works in the browser. Instead of popping up in a floating sheet, it will now open in a new tab. So if you’re used to the AI sheet, you might feel like this decision is a regression rather than an improvement. The company hasn’t clarified why it made this change.
Apart from this, the changelog notes that the update brings “memory optimization” and “other bug fixes and UI improvements.”
The browser recently saw some major growth in its user base on iOS and Android. These nifty features should help keep that momentum going. The forced background media playback might even draw in some new users who aren’t willing to spend on services like YouTube Premium.
Dwayne Cubbins
2979 Posts
I cover fast-moving stories across apps, online platforms, and everyday tech — phones, wearables, consoles, and whatever else people are fighting with this week. Bugs, rollouts, scams, policy enforcement, and the occasional internet-culture rabbit hole are all fair game. My goal is simple — make confusing tech news readable. When I'm not working, I'm working out or chilling with my dog. Got a tip? You can find me on X @dcubbins.