Brave Browser Helper: What is it and why does it keep giving me notifications?

[HipClipOne]

**Brave Browser Helper keeps giving me a banner (upper right corner) with options to Allow or Not Allow. So far, it’s happened once a week for the past three weeks. Sometimes I don’t see it for a long while and then it’s back again.

The problem is that I have Notifications in my settings for Brave and Brave Browser Helper set to OFF. I’ve clicked the Not Allow option on this banner before and yet here it is again.

So 2 questions here, please:

1. What is Brave Browser Helper?
2. How can I make this stop?**

How can this issue be reproduced?

1.No idea. It just does this on its own.
3.
4.

Expected result:

Brave Version( check About Brave):

Version 1.77.97 Chromium: 135.0.7049.84 (Official Build) (arm64)

Additional Information:
MacBook Pro/Sonoma (current)/M1

Thanks!

[Mattches]

@HipClipOne,
In short, the Brave Browser Helper process is essentially a background utility that helps handle external content – things like plugins/extensions, embedded videos on a web page, forms and other content that is not directly rendered by the webpage code. Note that it is not specific to Brave, as most other browsers implement similar “helper” processes to handle content like this.

That said, it is strange that you are getting notifications for it. It should be something that simply runs in the background that does not require any interaction on your end. I know you said that the notifications only occur once a week or so but if possible it would be helpful to see a screenshot of the notification you’re seeing.

I am also on macOS and am not sure I’ve ever seen this specific notification appear.

[289wk]

Might help . . .

I disable the Notification Alert Styles, badges, banners, whatever, and then disable Notifications for an application/process.

Also, if a complication arises, I open both, the MacOS Activity Monitor.app and Brave Browser Task Manager, in order to see what process might show - when encountering something.

I know that a Brave Browser Helper manages/monitors network connections. I am guessing, that a Brave Browser Helper also is involved, re an Apple device’s camera, and possibly the microphone.

Anyway, I match the Process ID (PID) numbers; the BB Task Manager gives details; the Activity Monitor indicates “Brave Browser Helper”:

NOTE: The memory values for “Browser” and “GPU Process” are higher in the BB Task Manager window, relative to the Activity Monitor window (“Brave Browser” and “Brave Browser Helper (GPU”)) . . . because I have GPU / hardware Acceleration enabled.

(I’m using an old MacBook Pro, running BB v1.41.100.)

[HipClipOne]

@Mattches @289wk

My apologies, somehow I missed this response… Here are the screenshots of the banners:

Oddly enough, shortly after reading my email regarding this post, the banner popped up again. So as mentioned before, I have Brave notifications turned off in my settings. I don’t have any extensions (other than my VPN’s possible extensions) or plugins added to my MacBook.

@289wk Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll give it a try and see what happens.

Much appreciated

[289wk]

@HipClipOne

Online, search for “Chrome Helper process MacOS”.

You might find a tip on how to disable Notifications for it, and then use the same steps for “Brave Browser Helper”.

I found what might apply - MAYBE (says “google-chrome-helper-app”) - for Google Chrome:

https://support.google.com/chrome/thread/181054223/google-chrome-helper-app-keeps-getting-message-when-i-turn-on-my-mac?hl=en

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THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXPERIMENT

IF you choose to follow the principle of those steps for Google Chrome

Without Brave Browser running . . .

Go to the /Applications folder and delete (move to the Trash and Empty the Trash), the Brave Browser.app.

Delete (move to the Trash and Empty the Trash), the following 3 items:

The BraveSoftware folder at:

• /Users/username/Library/Caches/BraveSoftware/

The com.brave.Browser folder at:

• /Users/username/Library/Caches/com.brave.Browser/

The com.brave.Browser.savedState folder at:

• /Users/username/Library/Saved Application State/com.brave.Browser.savedState/

Re the BraveSoftware folder at:

/Users/[username]/Library/Application Support/BraveSoftware

. . . without Brave Browser (“BB”) running, backup that BraveSoftware folder to some location that is safe (external drive would be excellent) . . . and then, also move the BraveSoftware folder to the Trash, but DO NOT EMPTY the Trash.

Restart the Mac.

Install Brave Browser.

During the first run of Brave Browser, try to minimize your input for settings. For example, do not setup for Brave Rewards and other features. Do not attempt to customize in detail, the new installation.

Because, I suspect that there is a chance to replace the specific, new “Default” folder at:

/Users/[username]/Library/Application Support/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser/Default

. . . with the specific, old “Default” folder that you had been using ← that you can find in your backup you just made or in the Trash.

After all that, Empty the Trash.

Restart the Mac. Examine the Notifications settings ← set as you wish.

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I did not find info that would have guidance on how to specifically disable Notifications for the following processes . . .

Actual location of the Brave Browser.app’s Brave Browser Helper processes - on the Mac:

Brave Browser Helper (GPU).app
/Applications/Brave Browser.app/Contents/Frameworks/Brave Browser Framework.framework/Versions/135.0.7049.84/Helpers/Brave Browser Helper (GPU).app

Brave Browser Helper (Plugin).app
/Applications/Brave Browser.app/Contents/Frameworks/Brave Browser Framework.framework/Versions/135.0.7049.84/Helpers/Brave Browser Helper (Plugin).app

Brave Browser Helper (Renderer).app
/Applications/Brave Browser.app/Contents/Frameworks/Brave Browser Framework.framework/Versions/135.0.7049.84/Helpers/Brave Browser Helper (Renderer).app

Brave Browser Helper.app
/Applications/Brave Browser.app/Contents/Frameworks/Brave Browser Framework.framework/Versions/135.0.7049.84/Helpers/Brave Browser Helper.app

Brave Browser Helper (Alerts).app (lists in MacOS folder structure as: Brave Browser.app)
/Applications/Brave Browser.app/Contents/Frameworks/Brave Browser Framework.framework/Versions/135.0.7049.84/Helpers/Brave Browser Helper (Alerts).app

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