Step by step guide to reconnect Brave wallet/ custodial account after formatting my computer

1

Hello,

I am planning on formatting my computer and I’d like a step by step walk through on how to reconnect my wallet and custodial account after I reinstall brave.

Please explain to me as if I am 5. I am not that good with computers.

Thanks

2

Before saying anything, let me ask.

  • What country are you in?

  • Are you using Gemini or Uphold?

3

Thank you for your quick response.

I am in Canada and I am using Gemini.

Thanks

4

This means we can give you step by step for everything except that. Assuming you can just get everything backed up and moved over, it might be fine. But where I have some hesitation is if it does see it as new device/browser, then you’ll not be able to link to Gemini again at this time.

The only new connections to Gemini right now are for United States. All other countries, including Canada, are restricted to only being able to relink browsers which had been linked before. So like, even if you have linked Brave to Gemini before, if not the same exact browser & device, it pretends like it’s a new connection.

5

Understood, then do you know if Gemini would return to Canada?

6

I’m debating which option to provide you, because there’s two choices for computers. Whereas only one option for Mobile.

OPTION 1: The Official Method

(Skip Step 1 if you already have a Sync Chain)

  1. Create a sync chain by goingbrave://settings/braveSync/setup (Settings → Sync) by typing that into your Search/URL bar. From there, tap Start a new sync chain button. Choose Sync Everything.

  2. From within Sync in settings, click View Sync Code and copy the 25 words it displays and paste it in a document on an external drive or send it to yourself in an email. (NOTE this code is only valid for 1 day. So make sure you do this only when you have time to completely format and add the device again before the change of day).

That’s it for the first part. Then you’ll format your PC

  1. Install Brave on your newly formatted PC.

  2. Go to brave://settings/braveSync/setup (Settings → Sync) and click on I have a Sync Code. Paste in the code you saved earlier. Make sure you click on Sync Everything like you did earlier.

At this point, everything from your old browser will exist EXCEPT you’ll have a new Wallet Payment ID and you definitely will not be linked to Gemini or anything. So you will need to click on Rewards and choose to get started like you had before.

There also may be some minor setting differences you’ll need to adjust again.

Basically, your Rewards within the browser will be restarting like you just installed the browser for the firs time. They say payout from prior browser should still go through, but I’m not going to guarantee that since I’m not certain with Gemini (since you usually have to Claim each month)

NOTE
All BAT you have earned and exist in Gemini will remain there. You won’t lose anything in that aspect.

Option 2: The Unofficial Method:

  1. Go to Settings > About and make sure your browser is updated to the most recent.

  2. Type in brave://version/ to your Search/URL bar. It will bring you to a page with a lot of information. Look for the one that says Profile Path. This is where your profile for Brave is stored.

  3. On your computer, go to that location. You’ll want to navigate to just before you open the Brave-Browser folder. The path to get there will be something like C drive > Users > Username > App Data > Local > BraveSoftware > Brave-Browser (stop there, at Brave-browser)

  4. Copy your \brave-browser folder and paste it to a flash drive. This creates a backup of it. Just make sure it’s stored somewhere other than your computer that you’re going to format.

  5. In search/URL bar, type in brave://settings/passwords to go to your Password Manager. You will see a spot that says Saved Passwords and to the right, a hamburger menu (three dots) next to the word Add. Hit the hamburger menu and choose Export Passwords. Save this to a flash drive or other external drive.

With this, you’ll have completed your backup and now will need to restore.

  1. Install Brave on your formatted computer. DO NOT OPEN IT

  2. Go to the BraveSoftware folder like you did on step 3. Delete \brave-browser folder from the new install and then copy/paste the brave-browser folder you have on your flash drive.

  3. Open Brave, all your bookmarks, extensions, and other things should be there except for your passwords.

  4. Go to brave://settings/passwords and click on hamburger menu you did before. Only this time you want to Import Passwords and you will choose the file you saved to your flash drive when you did Export Passwords earlier.

You should now have everything you did before, except I don’t think it will be linked to Gemini and you might need to add the device to Sync, as I’m not sure if it gets removed from sync chain in this process.

NOTE

While you didn’t have to create a Sync chain on Option #2, it’s still advisable to do so. If nothing else, just in case anything goes wrong in the process, that way you at least have all the info “saved” and can then default back to other method.

7

For clarity sake, let me explain Gemini is still active for Canada. It is Brave that is preventing Users from linking browsers to it.

As to when Brave will allow new connections again, we don’t have an official date. They have been saying the goal is to have most workable countries working again by the end of this year. That, however, is not solidified and anything can happen to delay things.

The official page they update to show supported regions for linking to a custodial partner is https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/6539887971469

Then I have a topic on this site that I regularly update to let everyone know the latest from Brave in regards to countries being added again. So if you wish, you could try to check in on PSA: Unsupported Region every once in a while and you should see any new announcements there.

8

Got it!

Thank you so much for your help

9

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