A VPN type connection used to work within Opera around 2021-2022 or so. Now it’s either fully subscription-based, has a tiny freebie period, or is made complex to encourage paid products.
What is confusing is that the online Opera help from the company suggests it is free and available all the time, but a download may be needed. I already have Opera, so I am not sure if the download is only for the VPN or for the browser, which also features the supposed free VPN.
I had an up-to-date install of Opera and its VPN was working and redirecting from Europe, but now it isn’t. I think the initial free period has ended.
On a different machine where no VPN has been used, the only thing I find within Opera is a paid subscription, although I haven’t used the VPN on this machine since probably the earlier mentioned 2021 period.
Am I missing something very obvious and simple or has Opera VPN become entirely paid despite all the FREE talk?
Well, I found my way to the VPN. What worked was going to the Opera Website Services>Add Ons link on the Opera site, and scrolling to find Opera Free VPN.
In my opinion, they are making it not as easy to turn on as before, so you are led down the path of their subscription-based VPN. For me, it was not just clicking it on in the advanced settings; I needed to follow the above steps to get it on and working.
I found a workaround; it’s a bit of a hassle, but it’s the only way that works to enable and disable the basic VPN. It seems like Opera wants people to pay for their upgraded variant.