Black Menu for Wikipedia for Opera: Features, Tips, and Shortcuts

How to Install Black Menu for Wikipedia on Opera (Step-by-Step)Black Menu for Wikipedia is a handy browser extension that gives quick access to Wikipedia search and article previews without opening the full site. Although originally made for Chrome, you can install and use it in Opera with a few simple steps. This guide walks through installation, configuration, usage tips, and troubleshooting so you’ll be up and running quickly.

What you’ll need

• Opera browser (latest stable version recommended)
• Internet connection
• A few minutes of time

Step 1 — Enable Chrome extensions in Opera

Black Menu for Wikipedia is distributed as a Chrome extension. Opera can run Chrome extensions if you first install Opera’s official compatibility add-on.

1. Open Opera.
2. Go to the Opera add-ons store (Extensions → Get extensions) or visit the Extensions page: opera://extensions.
3. Search for “Install Chrome Extensions” (the official Opera add-on).
4. Click “Add to Opera” and confirm.
5. After installation, you’ll see the Install Chrome Extensions icon in the toolbar or in the extensions manager.

Step 2 — Install Black Menu for Wikipedia from the Chrome Web Store

1. Visit the Chrome Web Store: https://chrome.google.com/webstore
2. Search for “Black Menu for Wikipedia”.
3. On the extension page, click “Add to Opera” (the compatibility add-on handles the installation).
4. Confirm any prompts. The extension will be added to Opera and its icon should appear in the toolbar or the Extensions menu.

Step 3 — Pin and access the extension

1. Click the extensions (puzzle-piece) icon in the Opera toolbar or open opera://extensions.
2. Find Black Menu for Wikipedia in the list.
3. Click the pin icon (or choose “Show in toolbar”) so the extension’s icon is always visible for quick access.
4. Click the Black Menu icon to open the popup interface where you can search Wikipedia, view quick previews, and access article links.

Step 4 — Configure extension settings

Black Menu may offer a few options depending on its current build. To access settings:

1. Right-click the extension icon and choose Options or Manage extension.
2. Check available preferences such as default language, popup behavior, keyboard shortcuts, or appearance.
3. Adjust to your preference and save changes.

Step 5 — Using Black Menu effectively

• Click the toolbar icon and type a search query — results appear instantly with short summaries.
• Use arrow keys and Enter to navigate results quickly.
• Click “Open in Wikipedia” or the article title to load the full article in a new tab.
• If you frequently use a non-English Wikipedia, set the default language in settings for faster results.

Troubleshooting

• Extension not appearing: Ensure the Install Chrome Extensions add-on is active and the Black Menu extension is not disabled in opera://extensions.
• Search returns no results: Check your internet connection and confirm the extension has permission to access websites. Try switching the language setting.
• Broken or outdated extension: If the extension stops working, it may be incompatible with newer browser versions. Check the Chrome Web Store page for updates or an alternative extension that provides Wikipedia quick access.

Alternatives

If Black Menu doesn’t suit your needs or stops working:

• Use other quick-search extensions for Wikipedia compatible with Opera.
• Add a custom search engine in Opera settings: Settings → Search engine → Manage search engines → Add (use Wikipedia’s search URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=%s). This lets you search from the address bar by typing a keyword (e.g., “w” + Tab + query).

Security and privacy notes

Extensions request permissions to access data on websites. Review the permissions listed on the extension page before installing. If privacy is a strong concern, prefer trusted or open-source extensions and review their privacy policies.

Black Menu for Wikipedia can speed up research and reduce tab switching. With Opera’s Chrome-extension compatibility, installing it is straightforward: enable Chrome extensions, add Black Menu from the Chrome Web Store, pin and configure it, then use the quick-search popup to browse Wikipedia faster.