How to delete Opera from Windows, Mac, or Linux
Opera is a web browser made by the Opera Software company. If you no longer use it, you can remove it completely from your computer using your operating system's built-in uninstall tools. The process differs slightly depending on whether you use Windows, Mac, or Linux, but in each case Opera leaves behind some files even after uninstalling — your browsing history, saved passwords, and bookmarks — which you can delete separately if you want a complete removal.
Before you uninstall, decide whether you want to keep your Opera data. If you think you might use Opera again later, or if you want to transfer your bookmarks and passwords to another browser, back up your Opera profile folder first. If you want a clean break, you can delete that folder as part of the uninstall process.
Key Takeaways
- On Windows, go to Settings > Apps > Apps & features, find Opera, and click Uninstall; on Mac, drag Opera to Trash from the Applications folder; on Linux, use your package manager or run the uninstall command for your distribution.
- Uninstalling Opera through your operating system removes the browser program but leaves behind your profile folder, which contains bookmarks, passwords, browsing history, and cached data.
- To delete Opera completely, including all stored data, you must manually delete the Opera profile folder after uninstalling the browser itself.
- Your Opera sync data stored on Opera's servers is separate from your local profile and persists even after uninstalling unless you delete it from your Opera account settings.
Uninstalling Opera on Windows
Open Settings by pressing the Windows key and typing "Settings", then click the Settings app. Go to Apps in the left sidebar, then click Apps & features. Scroll down until you find Opera, click it once to select it, then click the Uninstall button that appears. A confirmation window will pop up asking if you want to remove Opera — click Uninstall again to proceed.
Windows will remove the Opera program files from your computer. This usually takes less than a minute. Once it finishes, Opera will no longer appear in your Start menu or taskbar. However, your Opera profile folder — which contains your bookmarks, saved passwords, browsing history, and cached website data — remains on your hard drive in a hidden folder.
Uninstalling Opera on Mac
Open Finder and click Applications in the sidebar. Scroll down to find Opera, then right-click it and select Move to Trash. You can also drag Opera directly to the Trash icon in your dock. Empty the Trash by right-clicking the Trash icon and selecting Empty Trash, or by pressing Command + Shift + Delete.
Dragging Opera to Trash removes the browser application, but your Opera profile folder remains in your user Library folder. Like Windows, this folder holds your bookmarks, passwords, and browsing history. If you want to remove those as well, you will need to delete the profile folder manually.
Uninstalling Opera on Linux
The uninstall method depends on your Linux distribution and how you originally installed Opera. If you installed Opera through your distribution's package manager (such as apt on Ubuntu or Debian, or dnf on Fedora), open your terminal and run the appropriate command: sudo apt remove opera-stable for Ubuntu and Debian, or sudo dnf remove opera for Fedora and RHEL-based systems. If you installed Opera from a downloaded .deb or .rpm file, your package manager will still recognize it and the same commands will work.
If you downloaded Opera directly from opera.com as a standalone binary, you can delete it manually by removing the folder where you placed it. In either case, your Opera profile folder remains in your home directory under ~/.config/opera or ~/.opera, depending on your Opera version.
Deleting your Opera profile folder and data
After uninstalling Opera, your profile folder — which stores bookmarks, passwords, browsing history, and cached data — still exists on your computer. To find and delete it, you must show hidden files, since Opera stores this folder in a hidden location.
On Windows: Open File Explorer and click the View tab at the top. Check the box labeled "Hidden items". Navigate to C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming\Opera Software. Right-click the Opera Software folder and select Delete. Empty your Recycle Bin to permanently remove it.
On Mac: Open Finder, press Command + Shift + Period (.) to show hidden files. Navigate to ~/Library/Application Support/Opera. Drag the Opera folder to Trash, then empty Trash.
On Linux: Open your file manager or terminal. Navigate to ~/.config/opera or ~/.opera (the exact path depends on your Opera version). Delete the folder. If using the terminal, run rm -rf ~/.config/opera or rm -rf ~/.opera.
Removing Opera sync data from your account
If you used Opera's sync feature to store bookmarks, passwords, or browsing history on Opera's servers, that data persists even after you delete your local profile folder. To remove it, you need to access your Opera account online and delete the sync data there.
Go to my.opera.com in any browser and sign in with the email address and password you used for Opera sync. Once logged in, look for account settings or data management options — the exact location varies depending on Opera's current interface. You can delete your sync data, change your password, or delete your account entirely from this page. After you delete your sync data or account, Opera's servers no longer hold any of your information.
What happens to your Opera extensions and settings
When you uninstall Opera, any extensions you installed are removed along with the browser. If you reinstall Opera later, those extensions will not automatically return — you will need to install them again from the Opera add-ons store.
Your Opera settings, such as your homepage, search engine, and theme, are stored in your profile folder. If you delete the profile folder as described above, those settings are gone. If you only uninstall Opera without deleting the profile folder, and then reinstall Opera later, your old settings and bookmarks will still be there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does uninstalling Opera delete my bookmarks and passwords?
Uninstalling Opera through your operating system does not delete your bookmarks or passwords — they remain in your Opera profile folder. You must manually delete the profile folder to remove them. If you used Opera sync and want to remove that data too, you need to delete it from your Opera account at my.opera.com.
Can I reinstall Opera after deleting it?
Yes. You can download Opera again from opera.com and install it as if it were new. If you deleted your profile folder, Opera will start with default settings and no bookmarks or passwords. If you kept your profile folder, your old bookmarks and settings will return when you reinstall.
Will deleting Opera free up a lot of disk space?
The Opera browser program itself takes up roughly 200 to 300 megabytes. Your profile folder size depends on how much browsing history and cached data you accumulated — it can range from a few megabytes to several hundred megabytes. Deleting both will free up that space, but it is usually not a large amount compared to your total disk size.
What if Opera won't uninstall or keeps coming back?
If Opera will not uninstall through your operating system's normal uninstall tool, a conflicting process may be running. Close Opera completely, including any background processes, then try uninstalling again. On Windows, you can also try using the Control Panel's Programs and Features instead of Settings. If Opera reinstalls itself after you delete it, check whether you have a scheduled task or startup script that reinstalls it — this is rare but can happen if Opera was installed by another program.
Do I need to uninstall Opera before installing a different browser?
No. You can have multiple browsers installed on the same computer at the same time. You do not need to uninstall Opera to use Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or any other browser. Uninstall Opera only if you want to remove it and free up the disk space it uses.