Opera Touch for iOS has a new name, gets redesigned interface

Nearly three years after it was launched on the App Store, Opera is streamlining its browser experience for iOS with its other supported platforms.

Opera for iOS gets a fresh coat of paint. (Opera)

Nearly three years after it launched on Apple's App Store, Opera has announced that it is rebranding its Opera Touch browser on iOS, as part of the company's move to standardise the browsing experience across platforms.

The company announced the decision in a blog post on Monday, stating that it had seen a massive jump in users last year, with iOS users from North America and Europe downloading the browser. Jona Bolin, the company's product manager for Opera on iOS attributed the “tremendous interest” to Apple's iOS 14 release which allowed users to change the default browser on their device.

The browser has shed its longer Opera Touch branding and will now be called ‘Opera' -- as it is called on other platforms. The browser interface has also received a fresh coat of paint and brings a more up-to-date user interface. “Users will initially notice a shift on their devices' app icon where red becomes the new purple,” the company states in its blog.

Opera says that it has three million monthly active users at the moment, who are currently running Opera on iOS. In order to bring a more cohesive experience, the purple coloured branding from the icon is going away in favour of the more popular red and white logo that is available on other platforms. Animations are also being reworked and overhauled as well, the company said.

Users can also connect their iOS devices to their desktop computer in seconds, with the Opera Flow feature. They can scan a QR code, which will let all of their bookmarks, links notes and other data sync between all their devices. For those looking to switch to the ‘new' Opera, they can download the latest update for Opera to their iOS-powered devices right away.

"We plan to keep adding additional UI changes in the upcoming months. These additions will improve usability and aesthetics to give our users a more enjoyable browsing experience on their beautiful iOS devices. This is something unique that no other browser available on the App Store currently offers." said Bolin.