Next Opera browser will connect to messaging apps

The next version of Opera's web browser will allow users to message friends on mobile apps like WhatsApp direct from their desktop.

On Wednesday, Opera laid out more details on its latest browser, codenamed Reborn, as it seeks to capture a bigger slice of the web browser market dominated by applications like Google's Chrome.

The biggest feature is the integration of mobile messaging apps, including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Telegram. Once they've logged in to their messaging apps, they can overlay the chat window or pin it along side a browser tab. There will also be shortcuts to allow users to toggle between multiple messaging services.

Other updates include a redesigned user interface, an improved sidebar for accessing favorite pages, and more control over ad blocking on websites.

According to data from research firm NetMarketShare, Chrome dominates the browser space in 2017, with a 58.5% share of the market, followed by Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Mozilla's Firefox. Opera captures 1.2%, behind browsers like Apple's Safari.

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