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If Opera’s tabs moved to the left, a sidebar appeared, tabs started grouping themselves, or previews began opening on hover, you do not need to reinstall the browser. Opera One desktop exposes each change as a separate setting. Open Easy Setup with the three-bar button to the right of the address bar, then change only the component you want to restore.
For the traditional tab row, turn off Use vertical tab strip. To remove the sidebar, turn off Show sidebar. Choose Classic theme for a more familiar appearance, disable Automatically create tab islands to stop automatic grouping, and turn off Show tab previews if hover thumbnails are the problem. Opera does not document one universal rollback switch for every interface change.
First identify which part of Opera changed
“Restore the old layout” can describe several independent changes in current Opera. The fastest fix depends on what you see:
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| Tabs across the top instead of in a left panel | Easy Setup > Layout > disable Use vertical tab strip | Returns to the horizontal tab strip |
| Remove the permanent strip of tools and services | Easy Setup > disable Show sidebar | Hides the sidebar; individual items can be managed separately |
| Use a less modern color and wallpaper treatment | Easy Setup > Classic theme | Applies the classic visual style and its customization options |
| Stop Opera from grouping related tabs automatically | Settings > Browser > User interface > disable Automatically create tab islands | Prevents new automatic Tab Islands |
| Stop thumbnails or previews when pointing at a tab | Settings > Browser > User interface > disable Show tab previews | Removes tab hover previews |
These controls are deliberately separate. You can keep vertical tabs while hiding the sidebar, or keep the new theme while using horizontal tabs. Change the specific element that bothers you instead of looking for a single “old Opera” mode.
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Restore horizontal tabs across the top
Opera calls the two arrangements Vertical Tabs and Horizontal Tabs. Vertical Tabs appear in a panel on the left. Horizontal Tabs run across the top of the browser window and are the traditional arrangement.
Method 1: use Easy Setup
- Open Opera One on the desktop.
- Click the three-bar Easy Setup button to the right of the address bar.
- In the Layout section, find Use vertical tab strip.
- Turn that option off. Opera immediately switches to the horizontal tab strip.
Opera says this layout switch does not close or rearrange your open browsing work. Open tabs, Tab Islands, Workspaces, pinned tabs, and the current browsing session remain in place.
Method 2: use the tab context menu
- Right-click any open tab.
- Choose Use horizontal tab strip.
This is useful when you are already working in the tab area and do not want to open Easy Setup. The command is the same layout change as disabling Use vertical tab strip.
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Only the tab position and its surrounding layout change. Your existing tabs, pinned tabs, Workspaces, and Tab Islands are not deleted. If the tab row still looks unfamiliar after switching, check the separate theme, Tab Islands, and preview settings described below; changing orientation does not reset them.
Remove or clean up Opera’s sidebar
The sidebar is independent of tab orientation. You can use horizontal tabs and still have a sidebar, or keep vertical tabs while hiding it.
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Hide the entire sidebar
- Click the three-bar Easy Setup button beside the address bar.
- Turn off Show sidebar.
The persistent sidebar disappears from the browser window. This is the quickest option when you want an uncluttered, traditional frame.
Remove only selected services and tools
- Open Settings. You can also press Alt+P.
- Open Sidebar.
- Select Manage sidebar.
- Deselect the services or tools you do not want displayed.
Managing the sidebar item by item is preferable when you use one or two tools but do not want every available shortcut. Opera’s browser-window help also documents pinning and unpinning the sidebar and using a narrow-sidebar option, so check those controls if your goal is to reduce its width rather than remove it.
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Choose a more familiar visual style with Classic theme
If the problem is the overall look rather than tab placement, choose Classic theme in Easy Setup. Opera describes Classic as a style in which you can customize the interface color, wallpaper, and light, dark, or system mode.
- Open Easy Setup with the three-bar button.
- Select Classic theme.
- Adjust the available color and appearance choices if needed.
Wallpaper is managed separately at Settings (Alt+P) > Customization > Wallpapers. Changing wallpaper affects the browser’s visual background; it does not switch vertical tabs, hide the sidebar, or disable Tab Islands. If you are trying to reproduce an older appearance, set the theme and wallpaper independently, then make any tab and sidebar changes required.
Turn off automatic Tab Islands
Tab Islands are groups of related tabs. If Opera is creating groups without your action, disable the automatic behavior rather than changing the tab strip.
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- Open Settings or press Alt+P.
- Choose Browser.
- Open User interface.
- Turn off Automatically create tab islands.
This setting controls automatic creation. It is separate from the tabs’ horizontal or vertical position, so switching to horizontal tabs alone will not stop grouping. Existing groups may remain visible; the setting prevents Opera from automatically creating new ones. If you want to preserve a particular group, do not close its tabs while testing the setting.
Disable tab hover previews
Hover previews are another independent user-interface feature. They can make the tab bar feel different even after you restore horizontal tabs.
- Open Settings with Alt+P if you prefer the keyboard.
- Go to Browser.
- Open User interface.
- Turn off Show tab previews.
Afterward, pointing at a tab will no longer invoke Opera’s tab preview behavior. This does not change whether tabs are vertical or horizontal and does not affect the pages themselves.
Understanding the revised vertical-tab arrangement
Some users are not objecting to vertical tabs themselves; they are objecting to a recent arrangement inside the vertical strip. In a September 10, 2026 newsroom post, Opera said it moved the New tab button and the newest tabs to the top of the vertical strip. Opera also said users who preferred the previous arrangement could restore it through Easy Setup.
That revision followed feedback from desktop users. Opera reported that more than 73% of surveyed Vertical Tabs users opened a new tab by clicking the button. The survey covered 4,900 Opera One desktop users in August and September 2026. The figure describes that survey population and period; it is not a measurement of every Opera user or every edition of the browser.
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If the top-of-strip arrangement is what changed for you, open Easy Setup and look for the vertical-tab layout option or the related arrangement control offered by your installed build. Opera’s labels can vary as the layout is revised. If you cannot find the option, switch temporarily to the horizontal tab strip, then check Easy Setup again after confirming that you are using Opera One desktop rather than Opera GX or a mobile edition.
Vertical versus horizontal tabs: which layout fits?
There is no universally “correct” layout. Opera’s own guidance distinguishes them by the amount of tab information visible and by browsing style.
| Criterion | Vertical Tabs | Horizontal Tabs |
|---|---|---|
| Tab position | Left-side panel | Strip across the top |
| Tab-title visibility | Titles remain more persistently visible, especially when many tabs are open | Titles compete for horizontal space and can become narrower as tabs accumulate |
| Many-tab work | Better suited to scanning a long list of titles in the side panel | Can become crowded with a large number of tabs |
| Traditional appearance | Less familiar to people used to top tabs | Matches the conventional browser arrangement |
| Opera’s stated fit | Useful when you keep many tabs and want their titles visible | Recommended for a traditional layout or lighter browsing with fewer tabs |
Choose vertical tabs if identifying tabs by their full titles is more important than matching the conventional browser shape. Choose horizontal tabs if you keep a smaller working set or simply want the familiar top row. You can switch between them without losing your current session.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A complete reset sequence for a mixed interface
If several changes arrived together and you want the closest practical approximation to an older, simpler layout, use this order. Each step targets a different feature and can be skipped if you want to retain it.
- Open Easy Setup.
- Under Layout, disable Use vertical tab strip.
- Disable Show sidebar.
- Select Classic theme.
- Open Settings (Alt+P), then go to Browser > User interface.
- Disable Automatically create tab islands.
- Disable Show tab previews.
- Return to Settings > Customization > Wallpapers if you want to change the background separately.
This is not a factory reset. It changes only the documented interface preferences above and leaves your tabs, Workspaces, pinned tabs, and browsing session intact when you switch tab orientation.
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Troubleshooting when a control is missing
The option is not where this guide says
Check the product and platform first. The documented paths apply to Opera One on desktop. Opera GX, an older Opera build, and mobile Opera can use different labels or omit some controls. Confirm the browser name and version before following a version-specific instruction.
Easy Setup opens, but there is no Layout section
Make sure you are using the desktop browser and that the Easy Setup panel is fully expanded. If the option still is not present, open the tab context menu and look for Use horizontal tab strip. A missing command there usually indicates that your build does not expose the same layout feature.
The sidebar remains after changing tabs
Tab orientation and the sidebar are separate. Reopen Easy Setup and turn off Show sidebar, or go to Settings > Sidebar > Manage sidebar and deselect individual items. Switching from vertical to horizontal tabs alone cannot hide the sidebar.
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Open Settings > Browser > User interface and confirm that Automatically create tab islands is disabled. The horizontal-tab command changes placement, not grouping behavior.
Preview thumbnails still appear
In the same User interface area, turn off Show tab previews. Theme and tab orientation settings do not control hover previews.
The browser looks different after an update
Opera can revise its interface while keeping the broad feature names. Recheck Easy Setup and the User interface page after an update instead of assuming that an older instruction or screenshot matches your build. For the September 2026 vertical-strip revision, Opera specifically directed users who preferred the previous arrangement to Easy Setup.
What you cannot restore with one switch
Opera’s current documentation does not provide one universal command that rolls back every newer interface element at once. Tab orientation, sidebar visibility, theme, Tab Islands, and tab previews each have their own control. That design means a targeted change is safer: you can remove the sidebar without giving up vertical tabs, or disable automatic grouping while keeping the current theme.
It also means that reinstalling Opera is unnecessary for these layout changes. Reinstallation would not be the documented way to choose horizontal tabs, manage sidebar items, select Classic theme, or disable the two user-interface behaviors. Use the relevant setting, then restart only if your particular build does not visually refresh immediately.
Quick Recap
Quick verification checklist
- Tabs run across the top: Use vertical tab strip is off, or the tab context menu shows the horizontal layout.
- The left tool strip is gone: Show sidebar is off, or unwanted items are deselected under Settings > Sidebar > Manage sidebar.
- The appearance is closer to the classic style: Classic theme is selected and wallpaper is set under Customization > Wallpapers if needed.
- New groups no longer appear automatically: Automatically create tab islands is off.
- Hovering over a tab no longer opens a preview: Show tab previews is off.
- Your tabs and session are still present: switching tab orientation does not remove open tabs, Tab Islands, Workspaces, pinned tabs, or the current browsing session.
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