Everyone wants a faster browser when they are searching for some information. Three key elements make any website open faster. One is your computer system, as it should be compatible with your browser. The other is your internet connection. That is why I opted for Spectrum Internet. Whereas, the third one is your browser itself. Even if you have a faster internet connection and the latest computer system, some browsers just aren’t fast enough. In today’s fast-paced era, time is money. So, if you want to save your time, look for browsers that complement your computer system and the internet connection.
The browser called Brave got a lot of attention than most of its competitors because of several reasons. It is supposed to provide faster page loading with much better privacy protection. These functions are promised because Brave blocks web trackers and targeted ads.
About the Brave Browser
Brave was launched in 2016 and runs on ‘Brave Software’. It rapidly rose to fame due to various reasons. One of those is that its co-founder, Brendan Eich, actually kick-started Mozilla’s Firefox browser and created JavaScript. Another reason is that its business model is very unusual. Its users get paid in bitcoin if they agree to replace targeted ads with anonymous ads from the Brave network. Making money by simply surfing the internet is actually the dream of many web aficionados and this browser has promised to make their dream come true.
This browser is free and can be downloaded to use as many other standard web browsers. It allows its users to:
- Navigate the web for information
- Run web applications
- Save site authentications and information
- Block unwanted online ads
What Makes it Special?
Brave browser is distinguished for its highly enthusiastic anti-ads attitude. This browser was specifically built to keep websites clean from unwanted ads. The business model of this browser relies on replacing the unwanted and unsuited ads with the ones from its own network.
It also gets rid of ad trackers that are used by advertising networks to portray products that seem similar to the ones you have already bought or thought of buying. This leads to the user seeing the same type of ad no matter which site they navigate. Brave browser ensures that its users don’t have to deal with such ad trackers.
The Foundation of This Browser
The Brave browser was actually built on the foundation of Google’s open-source project called Chromium (which is maintained by others as well). For its Chrome browser, Google also uses Chromium as a source code. Two technologies power the Brave browser which includes, the V8 JavaScript engine and the Blink rendering engine. These technologies also power the Chrome browser.
However, to be compatible with iOS, Brave uses WebKit. It is the open-source code that originally powers Apple’s Safari browser. Any third-party browser that wants to expand its user base to Apple users must use WebKit as their foundation.
Does it Support Chrome’s Extensions?
Since Brave uses Chromium’s source-code, some of the extensions from the Chrome browser have been tweaked to work with Brave as well. These extensions include some password managers from third-party sources like Bitwarden, LastPass, 1Password, etc. Other extensions include some sources that display PDFs in the browser and others that allow you to save content to read later. You can access these extensions by exploring the add-ons in “Extensions” from Brave’s Window menu.
Browser Speed and Privacy
While other browsers block irritating ads to some extent, Brave has been specifically built on the premise of limiting all sorts of annoying ads that you don’t want. Firefox doesn’t support an adblocker, while Chrome blocks only a range of ads. Apple prevents ad tracking and promises users Intelligent Tracking Protection to some degree. None of these browsers come close to Brave’s capability in speed and privacy protection.
How to Download it?
If you are interested in downloading and using the mobile-friendly version of Brave browser, you can download it from Google’s App Store for Android and Apple’s App Store for their official website. I discovered its mobile application while looking for the Spectrum TV app.
If you want to use it for your computer system, you can download its software from the official page of Brave’s Program. Their page automatically detects the device’s compatibility and prompts the software download accordingly. It is compatible with the following operating systems:
- Windows x86 / Windows x64
- Windows 7 or later
- MacOS 10.9 or later
- Linux x64 for Debian, Fedora, OpenSUSE, and Ubuntu