Opera browser supports URLs with only emojis

Opera now supports web addresses that consist entirely of emojis. The browser can do this thanks to a partnership with Yat, a company that developed the underlying technology for this feature.

Users can enter specific sequences of emojis in the Opera browser in the usual search bar to get to the corresponding websites, Opera explains. The partner company Yat currently only sells the domain names through a bidding system in which customers have to offer a ‘serious amount’ of at least $ 200. An owner of a Yat then basically owns a specific sequence of emojis that serves as a web address. Opera shares some domains of famous musicians to illustrate. For example, Lil Wayne can be reached with the emojis “??” while DJ Steve Aoki’s Yat page with the domain name “??” can be found via Opera.

Opera claims to be the world’s first web browser to support emoji web addresses. As far as we know, it is indeed the only browser where only emojis can be used as URL. Competing browsers like Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, on the other hand, can also include emojis in search results. In addition, the websites mentioned can also be visited in any other browser by using the web address y.at/ followed by the desired emojis.

Image via Opera