Operas “unlimited” VPN service is now out for Android! Opera Free VPN, which was released for iOS earlier this year, will allow you to remain anonymous while browsing the web and using apps. You can also use this app to access region-locked content by spoofing your location. While spoofing your location, you can choose to use servers from US, Canada, Singapore, Germany and the Netherlands.
In addition to IP spoofing, Opera’s VPN also comes included with a Wi-Fi testing tool. This tool attempts to make your browsing experience more secure by scanning the network you are currently using. If it detects weaknesses such as your IP or location is exposed, or if the network allows others to grab information of connected devices, the tool will alert the user and list all of these weaknesses in a report.
Opera has included a ton of functionality for a free application. You might expect to see these kinds of features in expensive VPN apps, but Opera has included them at no charge. All of this free content quickly causes some users to question Opera’s business model. To its credit, Opera has been transparent about the issue and states that it will display some ads and collecting anonymous data on users. Some of the data they will be collecting will be things like web addresses visited, device type, browser type, and OS type.
Opera brings an impressive package to the table and it’s nice to see it finally available on Android. If you’d like to download Opera, check out the Play Store listing.
Hey Eric, thanks for the article! At least they are transparent about their business model, but what’s the point of getting a VPN if they are going to be collecting your data? I feel like it kind of defeats the purpose of getting a VPN in the first place.
I see your point and find it valid. I guess I still see it as “anonymous” since the actual data collected will be divorced from me as an individual. Is data collection ideal? No, but I keep asking myself “is the little data they are collecting worth the service they are providing free of charge?” For me, I answer that question with a yes. In the end, that question is up to the user to decide for themselves, but it is nice Opera has made the data collection transparent so the user can make an informed decision.