This browser has a new ‘Panic Button’ that saves you from getting caught red-handed

Google Chrome needs this feature, too
 By 
Alex Perry
 on 
Opera browser logo on phone screen
Maybe regular old Opera will get this, too. Credit: Thiago Prudencio/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Nobody needs to know what you're doing on your computer in private, and now, there's an easier way to make sure that remains true.

Opera GX, a gaming-focused version of the long-running Opera web browser, recently launched a new feature called "Panic Button." It's simple as can be: Simply hit F12 on your keyboard and all video and audio will pause, while the browser opens a tab in a "safe" website of your choosing, whether it's YouTube, Wikipedia, or anything else.

Hitting F12 again will go back to where you were.


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To enable the Panic Button feature, just enable "Early Bird" in the browser's settings menu.

The applications for this feature are pretty numerous and obvious. Whether you're looking at things that are truly scandalous, or you just don't want prying eyes on your browser activity, the Panic Button seems great. It's probably especially useful in work settings or in a home environment where you're not alone.

To be honest, it should probably be a standard feature in every browser going forward. Hopefully, whoever developed this feature at Opera gets some much-deserved time off this holiday season.

journalist alex perry looking at a smartphone
Alex Perry
Tech Reporter

Alex Perry is a tech reporter at Mashable who primarily covers video games and consumer tech. Alex has spent most of the last decade reviewing games, smartphones, headphones, and laptops, and he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. He is also a Pisces, a cat lover, and a Kansas City sports fan. Alex can be found on Bluesky at yelix.bsky.social.

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