Opera Mini, the data-saving mobile browser widely used across Africa, is stepping into the AI space with the integration of Aria, Opera’s in-browser AI assistant. This rollout marks a significant milestone for Opera as it aims to bring advanced AI tools to over 100 million users globally, with strongholds in data-sensitive regions like Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa.
This strategic update reinforces Opera’s push to compete with industry giants such as Google and Microsoft, which currently lead in AI-enhanced web experiences. As of the first quarter of 2025, Opera ranks as the world’s sixth most-used browser, serving 380 million monthly active users. Notably, Kenya has emerged as Opera Mini’s top market, accounting for 13 million users or 12% of the app’s global user base.
The introduction of Aria is designed to meet the needs of users operating low-cost smartphones with limited storage and data. Unlike other AI tools that require significant bandwidth, Aria operates seamlessly within the lightweight Opera Mini framework without increasing the app size or data consumption.
“AI is quickly becoming essential to everyday browsing,” said Jørgen Arnesen, Executive Vice President of Mobile at Opera. “Integrating Aria into Opera Mini is a natural evolution, enabling millions of our users to experience the benefits of AI without compromising on speed or cost.”
Powered by Opera’s Composer AI engine, Aria blends multiple large language models including those from OpenAI and Google to provide contextually relevant and fast responses. It also supports image generation via Google’s Imagen3 model. With this rollout, Aria becomes available across all Opera browsers on both desktop and mobile platforms.
Opera Mini users can access Aria through the main menu or directly from the browser’s home screen. Once activated, they can interact with the AI to perform tasks such as searching the web, summarizing articles, generating text or code, retrieving real-time information, and even creating digital content—all without leaving the browser.
In many African countries where mobile data remains expensive, Opera Mini’s longstanding reputation as a data-conscious browser continues to play a vital role. According to internal research conducted by Opera in March 2025, 59% of Nigerian users report that mobile data is unaffordable, and more than half frequently exhaust their data before the month ends. Opera Mini addresses this challenge through its signature data compression technology and promotional bundles with local telecom providers. In Nigeria alone, these efforts have reportedly saved users over $27 million in mobile data costs.
Beyond browsing, Opera Mini also includes features tailored to local user interests, such as live football updates and MiniPay, a built-in digital wallet.
By embedding Aria into Opera Mini, Opera is democratizing access to generative AI, especially for users with low-end devices and tight data budgets. Whether it’s helping students complete research, assisting small business owners with content creation, or supporting everyday queries, Opera Mini is positioning itself as the browser that delivers intelligent internet access to everyone.
