Opera releases free and unlimited VPN for Android

Opera Software has been steadily spreading the free VPN love across device platforms in recent months, and now an Android app joins its iOS and desktop VPN releases.

The Norwegian browser maker on Tuesday launched its Android app on Google Play, allowing users to mask their locations and circumvent third parties from tracking their online activity.

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Users will be able to spoof their locations from five countries: The U.S., Canada, Germany, Singapore and the Netherlands.

Image: opera software

Image: opera software

Like the iOS version released in May, and its desktop browser in April, the VPN relies on Canadian software firm SurfEasy, which Opera acquired in March 2015.

SurfEasy still provides and maintains an Android app offering VPN, but charges after usage crosses 500Mb a month.

This is typical of most VPN services out there, which require a fee after a data ceiling is hit, but Opera says it will operate its VPN service unlimited, at no charge.

But things in life never really do come for free, as Computerworld pointed out after Opera's iOS launch.

According to SurfEasy, quoted in the article, Opera plans to anonymise and sell user data to third parties. Compare this with SurfEasy's own paid customers, whose data is not logged and therefore not going to be sold.

Still, Opera's free VPN offer isn't likely a nefarious plan to collect user data. It's more likely a bid to boost market share for the once-popular browser, whose users total just 2.6 percent globally, according to w3counter's measurement of July 2016.

Image: w3counter

Google Chrome takes the lion's share at 59.5 percent, followed by Safari at 13.1 percent and Internet Explorer at 10.2 percent.

Chris Houston, president of Opera's SurfEasy division, told Mashable more and more mainstream users are aware of online restrictions, and are using VPN services to access that content. 

He added that more consumer-oriented software offerings are also making it easier to apply a VPN without going through IT support.

Opera says the iOS version has already been downloaded a million times since its release.