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Switching web browsers can seem like a daunting task. Much of our daily digital lives are intimately tied to the web browser. Browsers help us store everything from bookmarks to passwords, without which most of us are lost in the wilds of the internet. Fortunately, with some planning, switching from Chrome to Opera isn't too difficult.
The benefits of switching from Chrome to Opera, from new features like Turbo Mode and the built-in ad blocker, to the greater privacy of the built-in ad-blocker, far outweigh the minor inconvenience of tracking down and exporting your data from Chrome. We've put together this guide to help make your switch to Opera simple and smooth.
## Bring Your Data With You
The first step to escaping Chrome is to download Opera
Once you have the latest version of Opera installed, open it up and click the settings icon on the far right side of the window. Scroll down until you see the option to "Import Bookmarks and Settings". Click that button and then select "Chrome" and choose what you want to import. Once Opera is done importing your data, you'll have access to all your browsing history, bookmarks and even session cookies so you won't have to log in to your favorite sites again.
The final step to making the switch from Chrome to Opera is to set Opera as your new default browser. Click that menu icon again and scroll down until you see the option "Make Opera default browser". Click that button and now any time another app wants to open a link it will open in Opera.
Congratulations, you're all set. You've escaped Google Chrome.
If this is your first foray outside Chrome you might want to get to know a few of Opera's standout features, and of course you'll want to go download any extensions you had installed in Chrome. That's right, browser extensions for Chrome work great in Opera too!
## Features Opera has That Chrome Doesn't
Before you install all the extensions you used in Chrome, you'd do well to take a closer look at Opera. Opera has dozens of features Chrome doesn't.
There's a good chance that some of what you needed extensions to do in Chrome just work in Opera. Take ad blocking extensions for instance. Opera has a built-in ad-blocker, no need to install an extension for that anymore. To turn on Opera's ad-blocker click the settings menu and look for the option to enable "Block ads" (it's under Features).
Opera also offers extras like a crypto wallet and a built-in RSS aggregator for staying on top of the news. The Power Saver mode is easier on your laptop's battery life, and Turbo Mode speeds up your browsing by compressing web pages on Opera's servers before it reaches you -- perfect for when your connection is slow. The pop-out video player makes it easy to watch any online video while continuing to browse the web. The list goes on and on. All these features can be accessed from Opera's settings menu.
## Using Extensions in Opera
While Opera offers dozens of features you won't find in Chrome, you may still want to extend it with extensions. Fortunately any extension you used in Chrome will work in Opera too.
The first time you visit the Chrome Web Store in Opera, Opera will ask if you want to install extensions. If you do, click the button to add "Install Chrome Extensions" to Opera. Once that's installed you can add extensions to Opera just as you did in Chrome.
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