YouTube is one of the most popular platforms currently available on the web, and though Opera already does so much for you as a browser, there’s a lot more that it can do for you in regards to this service.
Whether you’re bothered by some aspect of your viewing, or just looking for something new to freshen up your YouTube viewing experience, there’s an Opera add-on that can help change how you use YouTube.
1. Enhancer for YouTube
First up on this list comes Enhance for YouTube, an Opera add-on which aims to revitalize your YouTube viewing experience with a bunch of new features and tweaks.
Accessing these new features is as easy as can be. All you need to do is navigate to the Opera Add-on store and install it, and from there you’ll find a control bar that the add-on adds below the YouTube video player.
You can change this later if you don’t like it, but to start with, it’s a good way to see everything that Enhancer for YouTube has to offer.
If you want a video to loop, for example, you can click on the loop button, and it’ll do that for you. If you want a playlist to play in reverse order, there’s a button for that, as is a button for end card toggling, different viewing modes, and more.
You can whitelist certain videos, which is sort of the opposite to how you can block YouTube channels from appearing in your feed. And, if you’re a bit of a power user, you can set up various keyboard shortcuts using Enhancer for YouTube to speed up certain actions that you would normally have to do manually, like changing playback quality and the like.
You can also go into the Enhancer for YouTube settings and set an automatic playback quality for videos, playlists, and for embedded videos. You can also have this adjust whenever you enter into full screen, so that your videos load as quickly as possible while having the quality that you prefer.
There’s a lot here, with more options for appearance, filters, and adjustments to the various modes such as YouTube theater mode, but to understand everything that Enhancer for YouTube has to offer you’ll have to go through it yourself.
2. YouTube Downloader
Next up on this list is YouTube Downloader. The name may seem a little confusing, but at its core, the concept is very straightforward, and incredibly useful for anybody who likes to download YouTube videos.
Essentially, YouTube Downloader is an Opera add-on that allows you to quickly and easily download a video from almost any website on the internet. Obviously, the focus here is on how it interacts with YouTube, but the add-on isn’t limited to just that.
YouTube Downloader automatically detects if you’re viewing a video on any website, and then consequently creates a series of links to the file that you can use to download the video easily. You can access these links by clicking on the add-on button, which should be added to the end of your search bar by default.
There are a ton of different quality options available with the app, as well as a ton of different formats available. Regardless of if you need the highest quality video possible, or just a low-quality rip with just the audio available, YouTube Downloader allows you to do whatever suits you best.
If you’re looking for something that more directly affects how YouTube behaves, then Sidebar for YouTube might be a little more interesting to you.
Sidebar for YouTube is an Opera add-on that you’ll be hard-pressed to find on many other browsers. That’s because it makes use of Opera’s sidebar functionality, a feature that is incredibly useful once you get the hang of using it.
The extension lets you quickly and easily access YouTube whenever you might want it, and without having to search for anything. All you need to do is click on the little icon that the add-on adds to Opera’s sidebar when you install the add-on, and you’re good to go.
The layout here is the mobile layout, instead of what you might normally see on a computer. This is because the sidebar pop out is small and thin, so the layout just makes a lot more sense this way.
There are more options and features that you can adjust in the settings, but the baseline functionality is good as it is. Just one click, and you can access YouTube whenever and however you need.
4. Volume up - Boost your sound
Next up on this list is Volume up – Boost your sound. As you might imagine from the name of this Opera add-on, this is an add-on that isn’t specific to YouTube, but can be a must-have depending on your setup.
As you no doubt have guessed from the name, Volume up is an add-on that allows you to increase your volume beyond the limits of what it is normally capable of. The limit here is up to 600% louder than what you can normally get out of your device. If you've ever had any problems such as no sound on YouTube, then you might know how annoying they can be.
If you have a laptop with weak speakers, for example, then this add-on is a life-saver, and perfect for watching YouTube videos out loud.
It is worth noting that if you increase the volume beyond about 300%, you’re likely to experience distortion in the quality, however.
5. Adblocker for Youtube
Finally, we have Adblocker for YouTube. As you might imagine, the functionality of this add-on is pretty straightforward, but nonetheless invaluable.
Adblocker for YouTube does exactly what you might expect. It blocks YouTube ads for you. This means that you’ll no longer have to sit through any pre-roll video ads, text, or banner ads on any YouTube videos that you watch.
A simple service, but incredibly useful if you often end up stuck on ads, or are unable to skip ads when you’re away from your device.
Do More With Opera
As you can see, Opera has a huge number of different add-ons that you can install in your browser to achieve a wide range of different effects.
With YouTube, this means completely redefining the way that you interact with the service, and completely rethinking what it is you can and can’t do.
If nothing else, you’ll no longer have to worry about the smaller problems that you might face with such a large service, and if you adore YouTube, then you’ve hopefully found some new ways to access it with these add-ons.