Opera integrates AI-powered Aria assistant into its data-saving Android browser, enhancing user experience with real-time news, image generation, and more — all without consuming extra data

Opera Mini has just supercharged its popular Android browser with a cutting-edge feature: the Aria AI assistant. Designed to make browsing smarter, faster, and more interactive, Aria is now live in Opera Mini, a browser used by over 100 million users globally — and a household name for many South Africans who rely on it for affordable, on-the-go access to the web.

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A Smarter Way to Browse

Developed by the Norway-based tech company Opera, the Aria AI assistant allows users to access real-time news, learn about any topic, and even generate images — all directly within the browser. Unlike standalone AI apps or subscriptions, Aria is completely free and embedded into the Opera Mini interface. This means no additional installations, and no added cost to users.

Powered by a blend of AI models from OpenAI and Google, Aria taps into a vast pool of knowledge to deliver accurate, insightful, and up-to-date answers. Whether you’re following breaking news or looking for quick explanations, the AI assistant has you covered.

South Africa in Focus

Opera’s Executive Vice President for Mobile, Jørgen Arnesen, emphasised that the addition of Aria is a direct response to rising interest in AI from South African users. “We’re seeing a great interest in AI solutions among South Africans,” he said. “With Aria, we’re excited to enhance the features our users depend on — from football scores to secure payments through MiniPay.”

Aria is also optimised for low data usage, which is a big win for local users. South Africa’s mobile users are known to be data-conscious, and Opera Mini already offers daily free data bundles in the country. The AI assistant has been integrated without increasing the app’s size or compromising its core mission of saving data.

Why It Matters

Opera Mini has long been a favourite thanks to features like data compression, live sports updates, and a built-in digital wallet. Now, with Aria on board, the browser also becomes a chat-based knowledge hub — enabling users to access smart answers in seconds without leaving the app.

Even more impressive, Opera Mini has been downloaded more than 1 billion times on the Google Play Store and continues to grow. In 2025 alone, it’s already reached 7.1 million new downloads worldwide, according to app analytics firm Appfigures.