What tab grouping does and why you might want it

Tab grouping in Opera GX lets you bundle related browser tabs together under a single label, so instead of seeing ten separate tabs across your screen, you see three or four groups that collapse and expand. When you click a group, all the tabs inside it appear at once. When you click it again, they hide behind the group name.

This matters because most people end up with far more tabs open than they can actually read at once. A tab group turns a cluttered tab bar into something you can navigate without scrolling left and right or losing track of what you opened. You might group tabs by project (work, personal, research), by website (all your email tabs together, all your shopping tabs together), or by task (things to read later, things to buy, things to fix).

Opera GX is a free browser made by the company Opera, designed with gaming and streaming in mind. Tab grouping is built into the browser itself — you do not need to install anything extra or sign up for a service.

Key Takeaways

  • Right-click any tab, select "Add tab to group", and either create a new group or add it to an existing one.
  • Groups appear as a single collapsed item in your tab bar and expand when you click them.
  • You can rename a group by right-clicking the group name and choosing "Rename group".
  • Closing a group closes all the tabs inside it at once, so be careful if you have unsaved work.
  • Groups stay organized the way you set them up even after you close and reopen Opera GX.

How to create your first tab group

Open Opera GX and get at least two tabs open — it does not matter what they are. Right-click on one of the tabs you want to group. A menu will appear with several options. Look for "Add tab to group" and click it.

A second menu will pop up asking whether you want to create a new group or add the tab to an existing group. Since this is your first group, click "Create new group". Opera will ask you to name the group — type something short and clear, like "Work" or "Shopping" or "To Read". Press Enter or click the checkmark button.

The tab you right-clicked will now appear inside a collapsed group with the name you gave it. Right-click other tabs and select "Add tab to group", then choose the group name from the list. Each tab you add will move into that group.

Expanding and collapsing groups

A collapsed group shows only the group name and a small number indicating how many tabs are inside it — for example, "Work (3)" means the Work group contains three tabs. Click the group name once to expand it and see all the tabs inside. Click it again to collapse it.

When a group is expanded, you can click any individual tab inside it to view that page. The group stays expanded until you click the group name again. This is different from closing tabs — expanding and collapsing just hides and shows them.

Renaming and removing groups

To change a group's name, right-click the group name itself (not a tab inside it). Select "Rename group" from the menu. Type the new name and press Enter. The group will update when ready.

To remove a tab from a group without closing it, right-click the tab and select "Remove from group". The tab will move back to your main tab bar as a standalone tab. To remove an entire group and close all its tabs at once, right-click the group name and select "Close group". This closes every tab in that group, so make sure you do not have unsaved work inside.

Moving tabs between groups

You can move a tab from one group to another without closing it. Right-click the tab you want to move and select "Add tab to group". Instead of creating a new group, choose a different group name from the list. The tab will move into that group when ready.

You can also drag and drop tabs between groups if you prefer. Click and hold a tab, then drag it over the name of a different group and release. The tab will move into that group. This works whether the destination group is expanded or collapsed.

Organizing groups by color

Opera GX assigns each group a color automatically, but you can change it. Right-click the group name and select "Change color". A palette of colors will appear — click the one you want. The group name will change to that color, making it easier to spot at a glance.

Color coding is useful if you organize by type of work or by urgency. For example, you might make all work-related groups blue, all personal groups green, and all time-sensitive groups red. The colors are visual only — they do not change how the groups function.

What happens to groups when you close the browser

Groups persist when you close Opera GX and reopen it. If you had three groups open with a total of twelve tabs, closing the browser and opening it again will restore all three groups with all twelve tabs in the same arrangement. You do not have to recreate them.

If you want to start fresh and close all groups and tabs at once, you can do that through Opera's settings, but the default behavior is to remember your groups. This is useful if you work on the same projects regularly — your tab organization stays the same from day to day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move a group to a different position in my tab bar?

Yes. Click and hold the group name, then drag it left or right to reorder it among your other groups and tabs. Release when it is in the position you want. Groups and individual tabs can be mixed and reordered freely.

What happens if I close a tab that is inside a group?

The tab closes and disappears from the group. The group stays open with the remaining tabs inside. The number next to the group name decreases by one. If you close the last tab in a group, the group itself closes automatically.

Can I have a group inside another group?

No. Opera GX does not support nested groups — a group can only contain individual tabs, not other groups. If you need more organization than that, consider using multiple groups with descriptive names or color coding.

Do tab groups work the same way on mobile Opera GX?

Opera GX is available on desktop only. The mobile version of Opera has different features and does not include tab grouping. If you use Opera on a phone or tablet, you will not see the grouping options described here.

Will my groups sync across different computers?

Tab groups are stored locally on the computer where you created them. If you use Opera GX on multiple devices, groups do not automatically sync between them. You would need to recreate groups on each device, though your browser history and bookmarks can sync if you sign into an Opera account.