I’m rewriting this request in a format more ready for implementation. Linking to other feature request & bug reports as suggested by Discourse.
I recently had a computer stolen, and although I maintained a Sync Chain via my phone, a full month later, I’m still rebuilding my search aliases.
Specific Requests
For data at about:settings/searchEngines in “Search engines” and “Site search” (and probably not “Inactive shortcuts”)
Include on Sync Chain — To syncronize across devices.
Support bulk export & import — To allow backup & restore (& bulk editing)
Related, but separate request. Support use of site search prefixes on mobile (iOS & Android).
Search settings mature over time for many users, adding more to the repertoire. With OpenSearch disabled by default, added search engines now represent an even mor serious commitment by the user to customize their settings with chosen search engines.
They are configured at about:settings/searchEngines
→ chrome://settings/searchEngines (offered completion suggestions) (room for brave brand clean up)
→ brave://settings/searchEngines
This feature relates to search engines either:
configured manually, or
approved after suggestion by visiting a page linking to an OpenSearch XML document, at the search settings page, brave://settings/search.
To summarize the github work, OpenSearch support status was dropped from
previous: include engines by default (with concerns, complaints about excessive additions, Mozilla’s choice);
past considered: suggest but do not add engines by default;
to: disable OpenSearch detection entirely.
Suggestions have been disabled by default since 2020.