Brave | Digital Privacy Sessions

Brave Browser Installation Guide - Privacy-Focused Web Browsing with Built-in Ad Blocking

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Prerequisites

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Before you begin:

A computer running Windows 10+, macOS 10.13+, or Linux
Internet connection for downloading and browsing
At least 250MB of free storage space

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Step 1: Choose Your Platform & Install

Windows Installation

Download Brave Browser

Visit brave.com/download and click "Download Brave" to get the latest Windows installer

Run the Installer

Double-click the downloaded BraveBrowserSetup.exe file. The installer will automatically download and install the latest version.

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Quick Install: Brave installs automatically without requiring manual configuration - just run the executable and it handles everything.

Launch Brave

Brave will launch automatically after installation. You can also find it in your Start Menu or create a desktop shortcut.

Import Your Data (Optional)

On first launch, Brave will offer to import bookmarks, passwords, and settings from your existing browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, etc.)

macOS Installation

Download for macOS

Visit brave.com/download and download Brave for Mac (supports both Intel and Apple Silicon automatically)

Open the DMG File

Double-click the downloaded Brave-Browser.dmg file to mount the disk image

Install the Application

Drag the Brave Browser icon to your Applications folder. The first time you open Brave, you may need to right-click and select "Open" due to macOS Gatekeeper

Launch from Applications

Open Brave from your Applications folder, Spotlight search, or Dock

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Brave Browser is optimized for Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) Macs and provides excellent performance and battery life.

Linux Installation

Choose Installation Method

Brave offers multiple installation options for Linux:

• Official Repository - Recommended for automatic updates
• Direct .deb/.rpm Download - For manual installation
• Flatpak - Universal package format
• Snap - Available in Ubuntu Software Center

Install via Official Repository (Recommended)

Visit the official Brave installation page for detailed commands specific to your Linux distribution:

https://brave.com/linux/

Includes installation commands for Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, CentOS, and other distributions.

Alternative: Flatpak Installation

For a universal installation method:

flatpak install flathub com.brave.Browser

Run with: flatpak run com.brave.Browser

Launch Brave

Find Brave in your applications menu or run brave-browser from the terminal

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Visit brave.com/linux for the most up-to-date Linux installation instructions for your specific distribution.

Android Installation

Download from Google Play Store

Open the Google Play Store app on your Android device and search for "Brave Browser" or visit the direct link below

Install the App

Tap "Install" to download and install Brave Browser. The app is free and doesn't require any permissions during installation

Set as Default Browser (Optional)

Open Brave and follow the prompts to set it as your default browser for the best experience

📱 Google Play Store

Official Brave Browser for Android

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Mobile Benefits: Brave on Android blocks ads and trackers, saves data usage, and extends battery life significantly compared to other browsers.

iOS Installation

Download from App Store

Open the App Store on your iPhone or iPad and search for "Brave Private Web Browser" or use the direct link below

Install the App

Tap "Get" to download and install Brave Browser. You may need to authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or your Apple ID password

Set as Default Browser (iOS 14+)

Go to Settings > Brave Browser > Default Browser App and select Brave to make it your default browser

🍎 App Store

Brave Private Web Browser

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iOS Privacy: Brave provides additional privacy protection beyond Safari, including advanced tracker blocking and built-in VPN options.

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Step 2: Initial Setup & Configuration

Privacy-First Defaults

Brave blocks ads, trackers, and scripts by default - no configuration needed for basic privacy protection

Import Your Data

Import bookmarks, passwords, and settings from Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or other browsers during first launch

Set Search Engine

Choose your preferred search engine - options include DuckDuckGo, Google, Bing, or Brave Search (privacy-focused)

Test Ad Blocking

Visit any news website to see Brave's ad blocking in action - you'll see blocked trackers in the address bar

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Step 3: Advanced Privacy Settings

Shields Configuration

Access Brave Shields by clicking the lion icon in the address bar. Customize ad blocking, tracker blocking, and script blocking per site

Cookie & Storage Settings

Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies to configure cross-site cookie blocking and storage clearing options

Fingerprinting Protection

Enable strict fingerprinting protection in Settings > Privacy and security > Block fingerprinting for maximum privacy

Private Window with Tor

Use File > New Private Window with Tor for maximum anonymity (desktop only). Routes traffic through the Tor network

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Test Your Privacy: Visit privacytests.org or coveryourtracks.eff.org to see how well Brave protects your privacy.

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Troubleshooting Common Issues

⚠️ Website Compatibility

Issue: Some websites don't work properly or load slowly
Solution: Click the Brave Shields icon and temporarily disable shields for that site
Alternative: Allow scripts or ads for specific sites in Shields settings

🔄 Sync Problems

Issue: Bookmarks or settings not syncing across devices
Solution: Check brave://sync-internals for sync status
Fix: Reset sync chain in Settings > Sync if needed

📱 Mobile Issues

Issue: High battery usage on mobile
Solution: Disable background app refresh or adjust sync frequency
Tip: Brave actually saves battery compared to other browsers

🔒 Privacy Settings

Issue: Too many site breakages from strict privacy settings
Solution: Adjust Shields settings per site rather than globally
Alternative: Use standard privacy mode instead of strict