Opera is one of the oldest web browsers available right now. Since the release, the developers have been regularly adding new features to the browser. One of the exciting new features of Opera is the left sidebar but not everyone likes it. If you are someone who does not like the Opera left sidebar and wants to disable it, you are at the right place. Here’s how you can hide or disable the Apps Shortcut sidebar in Opera browser
Disable Left Sidebar In Opera Browser
There are two ways you can disable the left sidebar in Opera. I will explain both of the steps of the way by step.
Method 1- Through Settings
Step 1: Click on the Settings icon in the left sidebar of Opera.
Step 2: Click on Advanced.
Step 3: Under Advanced Settings, scroll down until you find Sidebar. Click on Manage sidebar.
Step 4: It will take you to the page where you can manage the left sidebar. Alternatively, you can go to the same section by typing opera://settings/manageSidebar in Opera address bar.
Step 5: To disable the sidebar, turn off the toggle for Show sidebar. If you want to hide a specific element in the sidebar then uncheck that particular element.
Method 2- Through Easy Setup
Step 1: Click on the Easy Setup icon in the right top corner.
Step 2: Under Appearance, you will see an option Show Sidebar. Turn off the toggle to hide the sidebar.
Why Opera Users Are Disabling Left Sidebar?
Opera has always been the privacy-centric browser, but in recent years they have lost some credibility. Many long-time Opera users want to disable the left sidebar because of options like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The reputation of Facebook in terms of handling user data is nasty. Opera users don’t want to get tracked by Facebook products all the time. The claim is more genuine, and despite not a regular Opera browser, I have turned it off too.
Final Words- Hide Opera Sidebar
While the ability to access apps from the sidebar is a cool new feature in Opera, the above methods will help you disable it if you don’t like the new inclusion. As mentioned, you can either disable it through Opera Settings or from the Easy Setup many. Anyways, were you able to hide the sidebar successfully using these ways? Let me know in the comments.
