Opera Developer 45 with WhatsApp Messenger integration
Opera Software continues its work on project reborn, a redesign of the Opera web browser that is less platform-specific, and more modern.
One of the main features of Opera Developer 44, the first version of the browser that shipped with first bits of the new design, was integration of Facebook Messenger directly in the web browser.
Disabled by default, Facebook Messenger support means that Facebook users may sign in to their account using Opera to use the functionality that the web version of Facebook Messenger offers.
The sidebar of the Opera browser supports web panels. This means basically that websites can be loaded in the sidebar so that they are displayed there instead of the main browser window.
This feature is limited to the sites that Opera adds there. You may remember that the Vivaldi web browser is more open when it comes to this, as it allows you to add any site as a panel to Vivaldi's sidebar.
Opera 45.0 WhatsApp Messenger integration
The most recent version of the Opera Developer browser, version 45.0, introduces support for WhatsApp Messenger.
Just like Opera Software has done with Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp Messenger's web interface is available as a sidebar panel option in the browser (via shortcut Ctrl-Shift-M on Windows)
Integration works similarly to adding a Facebook account. Click on the WhatsApp icon in the sidbar, and then on the open button to open the WhatsApp website in the panel (the Developer version still mentions Facebook Messenger on that page, and needs to be updated).
WhatsApp's website displays a code that you need to scan on your phone to link the account on your mobile device to the web version.
Once done, all your WhatsApp chats and groups become available in the Opera browser.
You can pin the panels so that the interface remains on top regardless of what you do.
Note that both services are not enabled by default. This means, no tracking of any kind by the services that Opera integrated into the browser so far.
You may right-click on the sidebar to hide any of the items listed there, including Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp.
That's the best option if you don't want to use the services from within Opera's sidebar. This can be the case if you don't use these services, or don't want to use them in the sidebar. You can still load them directly in Opera for instance instead to use them directly.
Now You: What's your take on Opera integrating messaging services?
A browser that integrates Facebook, already has Google in their pockets and now has a Chinese company in their pockets as well is a browser i will never use.
Mozilla Firefox all day.
You forget, at one time Firefox also integrated Facebook.
All it is is a button that opens the messenger.com website (or whatever the standalone whatsapp website is) in a side panel. There’s no actual integration with messenger/whatsapp build into the browser itself, just a button on the panel the opens the website.
I’m hoping they’ll open up the feature to allow any website to be added eventually (like vivaldi’s web panels)
Vivaldi already does this, any site! :)