Brave Browser Tips & Tricks: 15 Settings to Try

Brave Browser is a privacy-focused web browser that blocks ads and trackers by default, and this article covers the most useful tips and tricks to get more out of it. You’ll learn how to customize shields, manage rewards, use built-in crypto wallet features, and speed up your browsing. These settings work on current desktop and mobile versions of Brave, so you can apply most of them right away.

Why Brave Is Different

Brave is built on Chromium, the same open-source project that powers Google Chrome, so it feels familiar and supports thousands of Chrome extensions. What sets it apart is its built-in ad and tracker blocking, which happens before pages load. This means pages often load faster and use less data, especially on mobile. Brave also includes optional features like Brave Rewards (where you can earn Basic Attention Tokens for viewing privacy-respecting ads) and a built-in crypto wallet. Understanding these core differences helps you decide which tips matter most for your workflow.

Customize Shields for Each Site

Brave’s Shields icon (the lion head in the address bar) controls privacy and blocking per site. Click it to see toggles for trackers, ads, scripts, and fingerprinting. The default “Standard” mode blocks most trackers but allows some ads that meet Brave’s criteria. If a site breaks (forms don’t submit, videos won’t play, or you see a blank page), try these steps:

Click the Shields icon and turn off “Shields Up” temporarily to test if the site works.
If it works with shields down, re-enable shields and then disable only “Scripts” or “Fingerprinting” to isolate the issue.
Use the per-site shield settings to add exceptions for sites you trust, like your bank or work portal.

For maximum privacy, you can set the global default to “Aggressive” in Settings > Shields, but be prepared to whitelist some sites. A common misconception is that shields block all ads—they don’t. They block ads that track you, but some non-tracking ads may still appear unless you enable “Block all ads” in the global shield settings.

Speed Up Browsing with Brave

Beyond ad blocking, Brave has several features that make browsing faster. One is “Preload pages” in Settings > Shields, which preloads links you hover over or tap. Another is the built-in “Brave Search” that doesn’t track you, but you can change the default search engine to Google, DuckDuckGo, or others in Settings > Search. For heavy users, Brave’s memory usage is often lower than Chrome because it blocks heavy trackers and ads that consume RAM. To further reduce memory:

Enable “Memory Saver” in Settings > System (desktop) to put inactive tabs to sleep.
Use “Tab Strip” on mobile to see all open tabs and close ones you don’t need.
Disable unused extensions via the puzzle icon in the toolbar—each extension uses memory.

If you notice a specific site is slow, try opening it in a private window (Ctrl+Shift+N on Windows, Cmd+Shift+N on Mac) to see if it’s an extension conflict.

Manage Brave Rewards and BAT

Brave Rewards lets you earn Basic Attention Tokens (BAT) by viewing optional privacy-respecting ads. To enable it, go to Settings > Brave Rewards and turn it on. You’ll start earning BAT monthly, which you can tip to websites or withdraw to a crypto exchange. A few tips:

Set a monthly ad limit (e.g., 5 ads per hour) to avoid too many notifications.
Use the “Auto-Contribute” feature to automatically split your BAT among sites you visit often.
Verify your wallet to withdraw BAT—this requires a custodial account like Uphold or Gemini, which may have regional restrictions.

Many users disable rewards because they don’t want crypto or find ads intrusive. That’s fine—you can turn it off and still use Brave as a regular browser. The key is that rewards are optional and separate from the ad-blocking shields.

Use the Built-in Crypto Wallet

Brave includes a non-custodial crypto wallet (Ethereum and Solana compatible) that lets you store tokens, interact with dApps, and manage NFTs without installing a separate extension. To access it, click the wallet icon in the toolbar or go to Settings > Web3. You can create a new wallet or import an existing one using a recovery phrase. Important tips:

Never share your recovery phrase—anyone with it can steal your funds.
Use the wallet only for small transactions if you’re new to crypto; it’s not a bank.
To connect to a dApp (like Uniswap), click the wallet icon and select the site to connect.

If you don’t use crypto, you can disable the wallet in Settings > Web3 > Default Ethereum Wallet and set it to “None” to reduce clutter.

Keyboard Shortcuts and Power User Tricks

Brave supports many keyboard shortcuts that speed up navigation. Here are the most useful:

Ctrl+L (Cmd+L on Mac) to jump to the address bar.
Ctrl+Shift+A (Cmd+Shift+A) to open the extensions manager.
Ctrl+Shift+I (Cmd+Option+I) to open developer tools.
Alt+Left/Right to go back/forward in history.
Ctrl+Shift+N (Cmd+Shift+N) for a private window.

You can also create custom shortcuts for extensions by going to brave://extensions/shortcuts. For example, you can assign a hotkey to toggle your password manager or ad-blocker. Another power tip: use “Brave://flags” to enable experimental features, but be cautious—these can cause instability. Only change flags you understand and revert them if something breaks.

Common Problems and Fixes

Users often report a few recurring issues with Brave. Here’s how to solve them:

Videos won’t play on some sites: Disable “Block fingerprinting” for that site, as it can interfere with DRM. Also ensure “Widevine” is enabled in Settings > Extensions > Widevine.
Pages load slowly or not at all: Check if shields are blocking too much. Temporarily disable shields for that site, or clear your cache (Settings > Privacy and Security > Clear browsing data).
Battery drains fast on laptop: Turn off “Preload pages” and reduce background tab activity via Memory Saver.
Sync issues between devices: Use Brave Sync with a passphrase, not a password. Go to Settings > Sync, create a new sync chain, and enter the passphrase on other devices.

If Brave crashes frequently, try disabling hardware acceleration in Settings > System, or update your graphics drivers. Also, check for Brave updates via the menu (three dots > About Brave).

Compare Brave to Chrome and Firefox

Brave is often compared to Chrome and Firefox. Chrome is the most compatible but lacks built-in ad blocking and uses more memory. Firefox has strong privacy features but doesn’t block ads by default. Brave offers the best out-of-the-box privacy and speed, but some users dislike its crypto features and occasional site compatibility issues. If you rely heavily on Google services, Chrome might be more seamless. If you want maximum customization, Firefox with extensions like uBlock Origin is a solid choice. Brave is a good middle ground for most people who want privacy without sacrificing Chromium extension support.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Brave block all ads? No, Brave blocks ads that track you, but some non-tracking ads may appear. You can enable “Block all ads” in Shields settings to block all ads, but this may break some sites.

Is Brave safe to use for online banking? Yes, Brave is as safe as Chrome because it’s based on Chromium. Shields may interfere with some banking sites, so you can disable shields for that site if needed.

How do I earn BAT? Enable Brave Rewards in settings, then view ads that appear as notifications. You earn BAT monthly, which you can tip or withdraw after verifying your wallet.

Can I use Chrome extensions in Brave? Yes, Brave supports most Chrome extensions. You can install them from the Chrome Web Store directly.

Does Brave have a VPN? Brave has a built-in VPN for its mobile apps (paid) and a firewall feature on Android. On desktop, you can use third-party VPN extensions.

How do I transfer bookmarks from Chrome? Go to Brave menu > Bookmarks > Import Bookmarks and Settings, then choose Chrome. You can also use the Brave Sync feature to sync across devices.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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