The Brave browser positions itself as a privacy conscious web browser, designed to help you not be tracked online. Under the hood, it's based on Google's Chrome browser and basically uses the same underlying technology to display web pages and so on.
Brave impersonates Chrome
The short answer as to why Brave gets detected as Chrome is because the Brave browser announces itself as being Chrome. Our detection largely relies on what your browser tells us about itself, and so since Brave tells us that it's actually Chrome, we have little choice but to display the homepage detection as if you were running Chrome.
Version checking is affected too
Because Brave is pretending to be Chrome, it means that when we check if your web browser is up to date, we compare the version of Chrome that Brave is pretending to be with the latest version of Chrome. Unfortunately, sometimes the version of Chrome that Brave is impersonating isn't the latest one, so as a result we check that older version of Chrome against what the actual latest version of Chrome is, and as a result we warn you that your browser is out of date!
If Brave announced that it was actually Brave, instead of impersonating Chrome, we'd be able to correctly tell you if your copy of Brave was up to date or now. Unfortunately it's not possible to do this.
Why does Brave do this?
The reason Brave impersonates Chrome is to help reduce your "trackability" and "uniqueness" online. One of the ways it makes it easy to track someone is by looking for things which are different about them - things that stand out.
For example, if there's a group of 100 cars - made up of different brands and and models but they're all blue, then at a glance it's very hard to track each individual car's movements. But if one of those cars was instead painted red, then in that sea of blue cars the one red car would stand out and be much easier to track.
In a similar way, Brave "fits in with the Chrome crowd" by impersonating it. If Brave went around announcing that it was the Brave browser, it would give another data-point for Ad companies to track you with. By blending in with all the other Chrome users, it makes it a bit harder to track you.
The Brave development team has no intention of changing this behaviour of their browser, so unfortunately for now we can't detect it or if it's up to date, but if this ever changes, we'll be sure to support it then.
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FAQs
The reason Brave impersonates Chrome is to help reduce your "trackability" and "uniqueness" online. One of the ways it makes it easy to track someone is by looking for things which are different about them - things that stand out.
Is Chrome and Brave the same? ›
Brave's UI is also quite similar to Chrome's, making it easy for Chrome users to switch. Chromium, the open-source project that Chrome is based on, is open source, but Google Chrome itself contains some proprietary components. Brave is open source, which means its code is publicly available for scrutiny.
Is Brave browser safe as Chrome? ›
Both Brave and Chrome offer advanced security features to boost your online privacy. Each browser has HTTPs-only mode, forcing websites to use secure connections to keep your information concealed. On Brave, this feature is enabled by default, but you'll need to turn it on in your Chrome settings.
How do I stop Brave from Google? ›
Hello there @fedup, please do the following to see if the pop up is no longer prompted when loading those sites: Go to brave://settings/privacy > Use Google services for push messaging > Disable it . Once its disabled try again to see if the pop-up shows again.
Why did I switch to Brave? ›
What is Brave browser? The Brave internet browser blocks ads and other online trackers by default, while other browsers don't. I noticed a difference immediately when I started using Brave: after a day or so, I could see I wasn't being "followed" online anymore.
What is the safest browser to use? ›
Secure Browsers
- Firefox. Firefox is a robust browser when it comes to both privacy and security. ...
- Google Chrome. Google Chrome is a very intuitive internet browser. ...
- Chromium. Google Chromium is the open-source version of Google Chrome for people who want more control over their browser. ...
- Brave. ...
- Tor.
Brave's security features allow it to use less memory while browsing, giving it an edge over Chrome in the performance & speed category. Brave is known for its safety & security features, and for good reason, as it helps users craft a safe and secure browsing experience.
What is the downside of Brave browser? ›
Disadvantages of Using Brave Browser
Compatibility Issues: Due to its stringent privacy settings and ad-blocking features, some websites may not function optimally on Brave Browser. Users may encounter issues with certain web applications that rely on tracking or ads for functionality.
What is the Brave controversy? ›
Brave has received negative press for diverting ad revenue from websites to itself, collecting unsolicited donations for content creators without their consent, suggesting affiliate links in the address bar and installing a paid VPN service without the user's consent.
Is Brave browser a scandal? ›
Brave was also caught up in a privacy scandal in 2020, when it was revealed that the browser was adding affiliate codes to some URLs typed into the address bar.
No, Google can only track you when you use their services, only first-party can have access to first-party cookies, Brave blocks third-party cookies by default, which will reduce the tracking, plus Brave blocks a bunch of scripts that are used for tracking as well, so websites can't use third-party tracking scripts or ...
Does Brave still use Google? ›
However, the user can allow the Brave browser to anonymously check Google for the same query. In October 2021, Brave Search was made the default search engine for Brave browser users in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom (replacing Google Search), France (replacing Qwant) and Germany (replacing DuckDuckGo).
What is Brave in Google? ›
Brave is one of the safest browsers on the market today. It blocks privacy-invasive ads & trackers. It blocks third-party data storage. It protects from browser fingerprinting. It upgrades every webpage possible to secure https connections.
How do I change my Brave browser to Google? ›
Now that you're familiar with the search engine options available in the Brave Browser, let's dive into the process of changing your default search engine.
- Step 1: Open Brave Browser Settings. ...
- Step 2: Navigate to the Search Engine Section. ...
- Step 3: Select Your Preferred Search Engine.
Our company does not store any record of people's browsing history. We don't write any personal data to the blockchain. The only way a user's data is stored by Brave is if the user has switched on Rewards or Sync.
Can I use Gmail on Brave? ›
Description of the issue: How can this issue be reproduced?
Does Brave protect against hackers? ›
Phishing and Malware Protection
Brave uses Google Safe Browsing to identify websites that are known for phishing users or hosting malicious software. It also blocks you from downloading potentially dangerous software and prevents you from installing browser extensions known for violating policies.
Is the Brave browser safe for banking? ›
It's safe to browse your bank with just Brave. I just use the built-in Microsoft Anti-virus, and just being careful which sites I visit and what programs are installed. Just being cautious, don't download dodgy programs or visit dodgy links.
Is Brave browser safe in 2024? ›
Brave is arguably one of the best web browsers for all-around security. The open- source browser includes a built-in ad blocker and a script blocker, automatically upgrading to HTTPS, blocking all third-party storage and protecting against browser fingerprinting.
