In bookmark manager: copying a bookmark deletes other bookmark with same target

Browser Support
1

Description of the issue:

If I copy a bookmark to another folder, other bookmarks with the same target, but in unrelated folders, are deleted.

This post is written in the context of this behaviour occurring when copying bookmarks from mobile device to desktop, as that was my use case. However, it also occurs in the context of desktop alone.

Steps to Reproduce

in Bookmark manager on desktop…

  1. create folders TEST-desktop and TEST-android
  2. bookmark site-A in TEST-desktop folder
  3. bookmark site-A on synced device (bookmark appears in Mobile bookmarks folder on desktop)
  4. drag bookmark from Mobile bookmarks to TEST-android folder.
  5. TEST-desktop folder is empty

Actual Result:

TEST-desktop
TEST-desktop1049×260 16.9 KB

TEST.android
TEST.android992×277 14.6 KB

Mobile-bookmarks
Mobile-bookmarks1004×356 18.6 KB

GIF shows bookmark dragged from Mobile bookmarks folder to TEST-android folder, then bookmark now missing from TEST-desktop folder.

out

Expected result:

I don’t expect bookmarks to disappear from other folders when moved about in unrelated folders. I expect bookmarks to be remain duplicated except where explicitly moved. The current behaviour is a bug.

Reproduces how often:

Reliably.

Actually (I’ve just tested) and this behaviour also occurs when copying a bookmark from one desktop folder to another. This would be expected normally, but it also occurs when (copy) key is down and ‘+’ decorator is visible on the mouse pointer.

UPDATE: This behaviour is also enforced explicitly by the ‘bookmark’ operation in a normal browser window. The dialog enforces selection of a folder, and this selection deletes bookmarks with the same target in other folders.

ALSO: This behaviour can be circumvented by copying and pasting bookmarks rather than moving (including from mobile bookmarks folder). This is inconsistent but also a potential workaround for my particular use case.

Operating System and Brave Version:

desktop system:
Linux lyra 6.1.0-22-amd64 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Debian 6.1.94-1 (2024-06-21) x86_64 GNU/Linux

Brave version:
Version 1.78.102 Chromium: 136.0.7103.113 (Official Build) (64-bit)

android-Brave
android-Brave720×1600 96.7 KB

android-version
android-version720×308 24.8 KB

Additional Information:

I’ve reported this in the context of syncing with a mobile device, but now I see the same behaviour in the context of desktop alone. I won’t recreate this post for that instance, but the sync/mobile context is somewhat redundant. Focus on the semantics of bookmark management,

2

@sub3

I suspect that some issues were dealt with, by including bookmarks management code that purges duplicate-URL-addressed bookmarks - during sync ops, during imports, during any process that involves movement from A to B.

For example:

The exception or workaround for when you are simply trying to create an extra bookmark:

  • same URL address
  • different name (ie webpage covers 2 different topics)

. . . is, to visit a website that you would not have an interest in, then make a bookmark for that webpage, placing the new bookmark where you want among your bookmarks collection.

Next, rename the new bookmark; and replace the un-interesting webpage’s URL address with the desired URL.

That is what I have been doing, and the extra bookmark sticks. Given that, I do not using any device-to-device sync of Brave Browser data.

3

Thanks, @289wk, but that is not a usable workaround in my case.

Unless explicitly being moved from one location to another (move semantics) deleting bookmarks because they are duplicated elsewhere is quite simply an error (storage should follow copy semantics).

I’m not going to argue about this. If any engineers here think I’m mistaken, they’re holding the wrong end of the stick.

bookmarks management code that purges duplicate-URL-addressed bookmarks - during sync ops, during imports, during any process that involves movement from A to B.

↑ This is utterly wrong headed.

Btw, there does appear to be a valid workaround, which is to exploit the inconsistent implementation of drag/drop vs cut/paste, since (I suspect) the latter does wiw, probably by accident. Haven’t tested fully yet.

To illustrate the above issue:

Imagine a bookmark to a google maps page with lat and long in the url string…

  • I put the bookmark in a folder called “Places I might get shot”
  • I then put the bookmark in a folder called “Places I’ve hidden some gold”
  • Later, I look for a place I’ve hidden some gold.
  • I then check my bookmarks to see what places I might get shot.
  • Ooops, unkbenownst to me, Brave has deleted them.
  • I go to get my gold and BANG! Aaaaargh! Gurgle…

Thanks for the tip @289wk, but all I see is a lot of complaints about the missing bookmark export feature. I think some of them might be mine…

Fact is, I would not be syncing bookmarks with my desktop if Brave on Android provided a bookmark export function.

Given that this feature would be trivial to implement, I can only wonder what is the source of resistance?

4

@sub3

Issues that have keywords “duplicate” and “bookmarks” in their title at GitHub > Brave:

‘https://github.com/brave/brave-browser/issues?q=duplicate%20bookmarks%20in%3Atitle%20is%3Aissue%20sort%3Aupdated-desc’

During this holiday weekend, you might not get a response from Brave team members.

Issues that have keywords “android” and “export” and “bookmarks” in their title at GitHub > Brave:

‘https://github.com/brave/brave-browser/issues?q=android%20export%20bookmarks%20in%3Atitle%20is%3Aissue%20sort%3Aupdated-desc’

1 Like
5

@sub3

I do not have an Android device, and I have never used Brave Sync. Some time ago, I started using GoodSync to run one-way data backups from Windows 7 Pro folders to external hard drives.

GoodSync also offers: ‘https://www.goodsync.com/for-android’

GoodSync for Linux OS: ‘https://www.goodsync.com/for-linux’

"I suspect . . . " that might work for you. Read that [first link’s] page slowly a few times - you’ll get the gist of it. There, I had to read the “Install and Configure” portion a few times.

So, instead of being frustrated by BB (Android) Bookmarks export, you might use GoodSync to get the Bookmarks file from the Android device.

You probably could edit the Bookmarks file. It might be a JSON file.

PS. I wonder if the following steps for exporting Chrome (Android) Bookmarks, might work:

‘https://www.apeaksoft.com/transfer-data/android-export-chrome-bookmarks/’

There, scroll down to:

Screen Shot 2025-07-05 at 4.20.54 AM
Screen Shot 2025-07-05 at 4.20.54 AM1916×224 22.3 KB

1 Like
6

Thanks, but I don’t think this is possible. :frowning: Afaik, Android application data isn’t readable by other processes without using a debugger and settings that risk bricking the device…

However, perhaps things have changed… That seems to be what the GoodSync doc is suggesting. I’ll look into it.

That said, I highly doubt the bookmarks are stored in a transparent manner. Most likely a set of database tables, possibly sqlite, as with FF.

No, it’s just using Chrome’s sync, via Google account..

The links you provided do make it clear that ‘purging’ duplicate bookmarks in Brave is probably a hacky attempt to solve unintended duplication of bookmarks by the sync feature. This looks like a failure to discriminate between distributed and shared data…

7

@sub3

The BB (Android) ‘Bookmarks’ file is likely a JSON file. Once you get it from the device, using GoodSync . . . You could create a new browser user profile (for Brave Browser, Chrome, or Microsoft Edge), and copy that ‘Bookmarks’ file into that profile folder (replacing the ‘Bookmarks’ file that was created when making that new user profile) . . . and then use the Bookmarks Manager to export as ‘bookmarks.html’.

8

Thanks. I doubt it but I’ll investigate. :slight_smile:

I won’t bother importing bookmarks since I use external software to manage my bookmarks anyway. I’ll just read the json file directly. Currently, the only thing I do with bookmarks in any browser is export them.

9

Not an answer, but I have had issues with browser bookmark managers. I got fed up and now use Raindrop.io. It does all this stuff and more and is cross platform and cross browser. It doesn’t require duplicate bookmarks because it has searchable tags for categorization. The free version is so good, I never bothered to upgrade to the paid version. It’s ad free too. A bookmark made on my phone is almost immediatelty available on my notebook in any of several browsers and vice versa.