Helpful Info & FAQ for Brave Users

This topic is made by a Community Ninja to share a lot of helpful information for everyone. It combines answers to common issues, information about features, and little tips for using Brave and the Brave Community as a whole.

I’ll try to break things into categories. Click on a category to expand it and see a list of help items. Links will take you directly to that issue. Before that, let me share:

Support Ticket Links

You can find links to support tickets by visiting Support ticket links.

Official Help Center

You can access many of Brave’s official Help resources at https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us


Brave Community:

Brave Community Overview
Posting Guidelines
Getting Help

Brave Browser

Browser Troubleshooting Steps
Brave Shields (Ad-blocking)
Cookie Management
Sync
Brave Wallet
Crash Reports
Installing Brave on older devices
Backup & Restore

Brave Rewards & Brave Creators

Rewards
Creators

Brave Search

Indexing and Managing Listings (Questions about webmaster tools)
Search Bias? Understanding how indexing works
Goggles: Improving search results
42 Likes

What is the purpose of Brave Community?

Brave Community is where users and staff come together to resolve issues, suggest new features, and share updates.

Most support comes from other users. While Brave staff do participate, it’s important not to expect a response from them on every post or comment.

Note
For issues like missing payments or checking if your account is flagged or suspended, staff will usually direct you to create a Support Ticket. This is because they’ll need private information that shouldn’t be shared publicly. So, if you’re in one of those situations, it’s best to just create a Support Ticket from the start.

20 Likes

How can I tell who is from Brave versus regular users?

There are two main ways to identify Brave staff:

  1. Shield Icon: A half-black, half-white shield next to their name means they are an Administrator or Moderator employed by Brave.
  2. Brave Lion: The Brave lion appears alongside their profile picture.

Below are the primary Brave support team members along with a note of what they primarily assist with.

29 Likes

What is a Community Ninja?

A Community Ninja is a badge and title awarded to users who are active and helpful in Brave Community. It doesn’t make us more special than other users, but it shows that we’ve earned trust and are likely pointing you in the right direction.

Photos 1_18_2023 16_02_28

Each Community Ninja has different areas of expertise. Not all of us display the badge, but you can view the full list of Community Ninjas here.

19 Likes

What are the rules for posting on Brave Community?

You can find the full list of rules here.

Here’s a simplified version:

  • Be respectful.
  • No scams or advertising—this isn’t the place for that.
  • Keep discussions focused on support and feedback for Brave.
  • Don’t create multiple topics about the same issue or spam in any way.
17 Likes

Tips on finding relevant topics


  • Browse categories: Start by visiting categories related to your issue, like Browser Support if your browser is crashing. Skim through topics or titles to see if any match your problem.

  • Use the search feature: Click the magnifying glass and type your search. Instead of choosing an automatic suggestion, click More at the bottom to see full results.

  • Use keywords: Search with specific keywords like “Crash,” “YouTube,” “Not Blocking,” or “missing BAT” instead of full sentences. Shorter searches give better results.

  • Sort by Latest Post: The default search shows what it thinks is most relevant, often displaying older topics. By selecting Latest Post, you’ll see more recent and active discussions.

13 Likes

How long does it take to get help?

If you need direct support from Brave, it can take 3–5 business days or longer to get a response, especially around holidays. Support Tickets may take a couple of weeks depending on the volume of requests.

For general issues, you can often get quicker help from other users in the community who have the knowledge to assist.

13 Likes

Troubleshooting Steps

These steps can help identify the cause of your issue. They aren’t solutions but will narrow down potential problems. Note that most of these steps can’t be done on iOS, but try what you can and include your results when posting.

  • Check for updates: If Brave won’t launch, try reinstalling it over your current version to patch any missing or damaged files.
  • Test in a private window: Private windows run without cookies, and on desktop, they also disable extensions by default. This helps see if cookies or extensions are causing the problem.
  • Test in a new profile: On desktop, go to the hamburger menu → More tools → Add new profile. This creates a fresh profile, which helps check if settings, extensions, or cookies are the issue.
  • Disable Shields: This helps determine if content filters or Shields settings are causing the problem.
  • Test on Brave Beta or Brave Nightly: Using these versions can help you see if the issue is specific to the version you’re currently using.

For browser crashes, it’s helpful to provide crash logs. On Desktop and Android, go to brave://crashes. If you see Send Now, click it, then exit Brave so the reports can upload in the background. After 30–60 seconds, reopen Brave, go back to brave://crashes, and copy the Uploaded Crash Report ID. Include this ID in your post so Support can reference it to help identify the issue.

11 Likes

Be wary of scammers

Brave will NEVER:

  • Ask for your wallet recovery phrase
  • Ask for your password(s)
  • Request payment for assistance
  • Send you to a strange website for “live chat” or help
  • Ask you to call a phone number for support
  • Ask for your sync phrase or QR code

Scammers may pretend to be from Brave or other companies to try these tactics. Make sure you know how to identify Brave staff and be cautious about sharing personal information.

Here’s an example of scam responses we sometimes receive from fake accounts:

13 Likes

Support Ticket Links

Rewards:
For issues like payments, flagged accounts, or anything requiring personal information and an investigation, create a support ticket at: https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=360001302431

Creators:
For issues related to adding channels, payments, or changing your information, create a support ticket at: https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=10061687185549

> Note: Suspensions are handled only via email at [email protected] and won’t be addressed on the Brave Community or through support tickets.

Brave Premium:
Most issues, including cancellations, can be handled through your Premium Account. For issues like account deletion or payment problems, create a support ticket at: https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=360003078831

Uphold:
For Uphold issues, contact them directly at [email protected] or submit a support ticket at: https://support.uphold.com/hc/en-us/requests/new

Gemini:
For Gemini issues, use their support form at: https://support.gemini.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=1260809732969

7 Likes

Profile has been flagged

If your profile has been flagged, you should create a Rewards Support Ticket at: https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=360001302431
Brave will investigate and decide whether to reinstate your account.

For those wondering why profiles get flagged, there’s no specific answer you’ll be given. However, you can find more information here: Why do profiles get flagged?.

Note
As of June 2023, if a profile is flagged, all devices connected to the same custodial account will also be flagged. This change was made to prevent people from bypassing antifraud measures by creating new profiles or attaching new devices.

7 Likes

Missing Rewards BAT Payment

First, check if payments are still processing by visiting:
Ads Payout Status Update. Payments usually begin around the 7th of each month, but they can take several days or even weeks to complete. Be sure to keep an eye on the payout status and be patient during this time.

If payments are marked as completed and you haven’t received yours, create a Rewards Support Ticket at:
https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=360001302431, and Brave will investigate.

7 Likes

Rewards are not available in your area

If you’re getting this message, it means your device Locale is set to be in a region that Brave is not able to support for Brave Rewards at all. This means no ads or any form of participation of Rewards is possible for you. Countries that are not available for Rewards can be seen at https://support.brave.com/hc/en- Rewards are not available in your area

If you’re seeing this message, it means your device’s locale is set to a region where Brave Rewards isn’t supported. This means no ads or any form of participation in Rewards is possible. You can view the list of unsupported countries here: https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/9053832354957-Unavailable-jurisdictions-for-Brave-Rewards

If you don’t live in one of these countries but still see the message, check your device settings. Your country, region, or regional format is likely set to an unsupported country. Until that’s updated, you won’t be able to access Rewards.

For example, the screenshot below shows someone whose country was set to Belarus but had the regional format set to Russian (Russia). This caused Brave to block Rewards. After updating their region and format, Rewards became available.

4 Likes

Limited Uphold account functionality

If you’re seeing this message, it means you haven’t completed all the KYC/AML steps required by Uphold. The most common missing step is the Liveness check, which involves taking a live selfie.

To trigger this step, try initiating a withdrawal from your Uphold account (you don’t need to complete the withdrawal). This will usually prompt the request for a selfie. Alternatively, installing the Uphold app on your phone may notify you that an additional selfie is required.

Even if you’ve submitted a selfie before, they may request a new one. For more details, check out these posts from other users who experienced the same issue:
User post example 1
User post example 2

Below is a screenshot of instructions from Uphold:

6 Likes

When will I receive my Rewards payment?

Payments start processing around the 7th of each month, but this is just when the process begins—it’s not a guarantee that you’ll receive payment that day. Occasionally it can take weeks for payments to arrive.

Brave Support updates a topic each month where you can check the status of payments:
Ads Payout Status Update.

Note
Your Estimated Earnings will reset to 0 on the last day of the month, and payments begin processing around the 7th. Keep in mind that dates are based on U.S. Pacific Time, so if you’re in a different time zone, adjust accordingly.

3 Likes

How can I see more ads?

There’s no guaranteed way to increase the number of ads you see, but here are some steps to help ensure you’re not missing any:

  • Turn off Focus Assist or similar features: Many devices pause notifications during certain activities (like gaming or watching videos). If notifications are paused, ads won’t be served.
  • Enable Sponsored Images: On your Dashboard, go to Customize and scroll to the bottom of Background Images. Alternatively, go to SettingsGet StartedCustomize New Tab Page, then scroll to the bottom of Background Image to toggle Sponsored Images. This allows ads to appear when opening new tabs.
  • Turn on Brave News: On Desktop, go to Customize on your New Tab Page → Brave News, and enable it. On iPhone and Android, go to SettingsBrave News.
  • Match your IP address and device locale: If they don’t match, you may not receive ads or get paid for them. This is especially important if you use a VPN or proxy server.
  • Spread the word about Brave: More users bring more advertisers, which can lead to more ads in your region.
  • Use your device casually: Ads are served based on moderate activity. Leaving your device idle reduces ads, but heavy use (like “farming” Rewards) can also limit them.
  • Visit a variety of websites: The types of sites you visit affect the ads you see. For example, frequent visits to cryptocurrency websites may result in more crypto-related ads.
2 Likes

What types of ads are there?

There are currently four types of ads available in Brave:

  • Push Notifications (PN): These appear in your device’s Notification Center. The maximum is 10 ads per hour and up to 100 per day, though you’ll rarely reach that number.
  • Sponsored Images (SI): Also known as New Tab Page (NTP) ads, these appear as full-background images when you open a new tab. You can receive up to 20 per day, with a maximum of 1 every 15 minutes.
  • Inline Content (IC): These appear as you scroll through Brave News, below your New Tab Page. You can see up to 12 per hour, and a maximum of 60 per day, but the actual number may vary.
  • Search Ads: Still in beta and not yet available via Rewards. Once fully released, they’ll appear during searches on Brave Search, and users will be able to earn BAT from them. The maximum number of search ads is currently unknown.

NTP Ad Example:

Brave News Ad Example:

(See the BAT triangle in the top right that says ad? These ads appear mixed with news sources in Brave News and can vary in size.)

6 Likes

Why Do Profiles Get Flagged?

Profiles are flagged when the system detects activity that might violate the Terms of Service or appear fraudulent. Brave doesn’t share specific reasons for flagging accounts, so it’s tough to answer the “why.” This policy is in place to prevent abusers from learning how to bypass detection.

While this can be frustrating, especially if unintentional, it’s essential for maintaining the integrity of the Rewards system. Advertisers pay for targeted ads expecting real user engagement, and attempting to cheat this system can result in flagged accounts.

Two common triggers users have noticed include:

  • Using a VPN: While VPNs aren’t against the rules, using one to view ads from other countries can be an issue. Ads are based on your IP location, so consistently appearing in a different country might violate the Terms and lead to your profile being flagged.

  • Automation: Using bots or macros to boost earnings—like repeatedly opening new tabs or excessively scrolling through Brave News—is considered abuse. Normal use is fine, but engaging in these activities excessively to game the system can cause problems.

Remember, BAT stands for Basic Attention Token—we earn these tokens in exchange for our genuine attention. Engaging in activities that bypass this principle is considered fraudulent.

7 Likes

Why is was KYC/AML required?

As of 2024, KYC/AML (Know Your Customer/Anti-Money Laundering) is no longer strictly required for Brave Rewards, but it may still apply in certain cases or change in the future. For historical reference, here’s an overview of its relevance and ongoing significance, especially for converting BAT (Basic Attention Token) to fiat currency (other word for “real money”).

Key Points

KYC and AML regulations are mandated by governments to prevent illegal activities such as money laundering and terrorism financing. Non-compliance with these laws can result in severe penalties, including fines and imprisonment. These laws have especially been made tough for cryptocurrency exchanges, as governments have claimed cryptocurrency is being used to fund terrorism, money laundering, etc.

While Brave is able to support on-chain payments, avoiding the need for KYC/AML, this is with some limitations. If you ever want to convert that BAT to real money (fiat), then you likely will be forced to go through KYC/AML with some exchange.

Legal Framework and Background

Governments worldwide enforce KYC/AML regulations to combat financial crimes. Below are some resources outlining the legal context:

United States:

European Union:

World Economic Forum:

Consequences of Non-Compliance

Failure to comply with KYC/AML requirements can result in significant legal and financial repercussions. Here are examples of penalties and enforcement actions:

4 Likes

What are the best settings for Shields?

Brave is optimized by default, but if you want stronger protection, here are some recommended settings. Keep in mind that enabling too many content filters or rules can cause websites to break or result in performance issues.

  1. Go to SettingsShields and set Trackers & Ads Blocking to Aggressive.
  2. Set Block Cookies to Block third-party cookies.
  3. Set Upgrade connections to HTTPS to Strict.
  4. Under Content Filtering, enable Fanboy’s Annoyances + uBO Annoyances.

If experiencing ads on YouTube despite the settings above, try to also enable Brave Experimental Adblock Rules

8 Likes