Opera VPN not working
Opera is a Chromium-based web browser, and it’s known for being the first to introduce a free VPN built-in feature. Even today, Opera is the only major browser to offer a free and unlimited VPN service to its users.
Yet while this VPN works quite well most of the time, some are complaining on forums about their Opera VPN not working. Moreover, for some, Opera VPN won’t connect at all. In some cases, the only solution might be switching to another provider, such as NordVPN, which can bypass all the blocks that your country or your ISP are putting.
If you’re still eager to try fixing these issues on your own – here are some possible solutions to Opera VPN connection woes.
Easy solutions for fixing Opera VPN connection issues
Here are six easy steps to follow if you want to mitigate connection problems:
1. Switch the VPN button on and off a couple of times
This can fix most of the issues, especially if Opera VPN keeps saying that it’s connecting, but your IP address remains the same. A number of users reported that they’ve managed to resolve the Opera VPN not working issue by merely toggling the VPN button off and then on 3-4 times in a row. Yes, it’s that easy, just check out the pic:
Even if this is only a temporary solution, it might save the day for you.
2. Clear your Browser Cache
Many browser-related issues are due to leftovers in the browser’s cache. Hence, sometimes if Opera VPN won’t connect, try to clear browser cache and see what happens.
This procedure will not only make your browser faster and save you a ton of space on your drive (you should clear the browser cache regularly by the way), but it may very well resolve the VPN problem. Here’s how to do it: press Ctrl + Shift + Del keys and check the Cached images and files box, as per the picture below:
While you’re at it, you may very well clear cookies and other site data, along with browser history, but that’s not mandatory. Don’t forget to get rid of everything by selecting “the beginning of time” in the drop-down menu:
Finally, press the button at the bottom that reads Clear browsing data, restart Opera and if you’re lucky, you’re good to go.
3. Switch Off Opera Browser Extensions
Some browser extensions may interfere with Opera’s VPN feature. So, try turning them off by following these steps: first, press the Menu button, which is located at the top-left, then click Extensions -> Extensions and open the tab, as per the picture below:
Here you must select Enabled, then click the Disabled button to view all listed tabs.
4. Update your browser regularly
If you haven’t updated Opera in a long time, Opera VPN may stop working or become slow. To update Opera to the latest version, press the Menu button at the top-left of the screen, then select Update and Recovery, to automatically check for updates. Finally, re-launch Opera and see if you’ve managed to kick-start your VPN service.
5. Turn off your Antivirus software
Needless to say, this one is all at your own risk!
Indeed, 3rd party software like AV utilities is known for interfering with VPN functionality, and Opera VPN not connecting, or Opera VPN stuck on connecting may very well be because you’ve failed to add Opera to your Antivirus exceptions list.
First, switch off your Antivirus and see if Opera VPN has regained functionality. Usually, this happens due to the “Web Shield” or “Web Anti-Virus” feature, which is present in most Internet Security suites, so try to turn off the Web Shield.
Most AV software can be temporarily disabled by right-clicking on the system tray icon, and then selecting a turn-off/disable option. Otherwise, you might have to open the software windows and tinker with switching some of the utilities off.
Moreover, you should try to add Opera to your anti-virus exceptions list. The Exclusion tab is usually found on the anti-virus package settings page.
6. Try switching off your firewall
Needless to say, this one is all at your own risk!
Whether we’re talking about the built-in Windows Firewall or a 3rd party software, depending on what you’re using. According to many Opera users, the Windows Defender Firewall is known to interfere with VPN functionality, especially on Windows 10. Hence, disabling the Firewall could help with “Opera VPN not working” issues.
Here’s how to do it in Windows 10: first, open the control panel, then click on System and Security ->Windows Firewall. If the firewall is disabled, you’ll see Turn off Windows Defender Firewall (not recommended) marked.
Recommended reads:
