Brave (web browser) facts for kids
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Wikipedia on Brave, desktop and mobile
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| Developer(s) | Brave Software, Inc. | ||||||||||
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| Initial release | 12 Oct 2016 v1.0.3 (Android) 14 Dec 2018 v1.7 (iOS) |
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| Written in | JavaScript, Swift, C++ | ||||||||||
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| Platform | x86, x86-64, IA-32 (Windows, Linux, macOS), ARM, AArch64 (Android, iOS) | ||||||||||
| Type | Web browser | ||||||||||
| License | MPL 2.0 | ||||||||||
Brave is a web browser that helps you explore the internet. It's special because it focuses on your privacy. Brave automatically blocks most ads and website trackers. This means your online activity is more private, and pages load faster!
You can also choose to see special ads and earn a digital currency called Basic Attention Tokens (BAT). These tokens can be used to support your favorite websites or content creators. Brave Software, the company behind Brave, is based in San Francisco, California.
As of March 2024[update] Brave had over 73 million people using it every month. It also had more than 1.6 million content creators who joined its network.
Contents
History of Brave Browser
How Brave Started
Brave Software was founded on May 28, 2015, by CEO Brendan Eich and CTO Brian Bondy. They wanted to create a new kind of web browser.
On January 20, 2016, Brave launched its first version. This version already had features to block ads. They also announced plans for an ad system that would keep user information private.
New Features and Growth
In June 2018, Brave added support for Tor. Tor is a special network that helps keep your internet activity very private. This feature was added to Brave's private browsing mode on desktop computers.
Brave also changed how it was built. It moved to using Chromium, which is the base for many popular browsers like Google Chrome. This made it easier for Brave to keep its browser updated and secure.
Brave 1.0 Release
Brave launched its first stable version, Brave 1.0, on November 13, 2019. At this time, about 8.7 million people were using Brave every month. This version brought all of Brave's main features to many different devices. These included Android, iOS, Windows 10, macOS, and Linux.
By November 2020, Brave had grown to 20 million monthly users. By September 2021, this number jumped to over 36 million!
Developing Brave Search
In March 2021, Brave bought a search engine called Tailcat. Tailcat was designed to give search results without tracking what users do. Brave then used this to build its own search engine.
In June 2021, Brave launched a test version of its own search engine, Brave Search. It officially came out of testing in June 2022. During its test period, Brave Search handled over 2.5 billion searches!
How Brave Makes Money
Brave Rewards Program
Brave has a unique way of earning money. It shares ad revenue with its users and website owners. When you choose to see ads in Brave, you can earn Basic Attention Tokens (BAT).
These ads appear as notifications on your computer or device. Brave matches ads to you based on your browsing history, but it does this privately on your device. Your personal information is not sent anywhere else.
Supporting Content Creators
You can use the BAT you earn to support websites and content creators you like. You can set up "auto-contribute," which automatically sends small payments to sites you visit often. Or, you can send a "tip" manually to a specific site or creator.
Website owners and creators need to sign up with Brave to receive these payments. If a creator hasn't signed up, Brave holds the tips for them for 90 days. If they don't sign up, the BAT is returned to you.
Key Features of Brave
Brave Leo: Your AI Assistant
Brave Leo is an AI chatbot built into the Brave desktop browser. It can help you with questions and tasks using its advanced language skills.
Brave Firewall + VPN
Brave Firewall + VPN is a tool that works like a security guard and a VPN (Virtual Private Network) for your entire device. It helps protect your online connection and privacy.
Brave Search Engine
Brave Search is Brave's own search engine. It was launched in 2021. Since October 2021, Brave Search is the main search engine for Brave users in many countries, including the United States and Canada. It focuses on giving you search results without tracking you.
Brave Wallet: Your Crypto Wallet
Brave Wallet is a cryptocurrency wallet built directly into the browser. You don't need extra extensions. It lets you store and manage different types of digital currencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
Brave Shields: Blocking Ads and Trackers
Brave Shields is a powerful tool that blocks third-party ads and trackers by default. It's like having a built-in ad blocker. You can adjust its settings to control how it blocks ads, scripts, and cookies. Brave Shields also helps protect against browser fingerprinting, which is a way websites try to identify you.
Brave Talk: Video Calls
Brave Talk is a video calling tool built into the browser. It lets you have video conferences right from Brave. It has both free and paid options.
Tor Windows: Extra Privacy
Brave offers Tor support in its desktop version. This means you can open a special "Tor window" that routes your internet traffic through the Tor network. This makes your browsing much more private and harder to trace.
Other Cool Features
- SugarCoat: This tool helps Brave block trackers while making sure websites still work correctly.
- IPFS Support: Brave was one of the first browsers to connect directly to IPFS. This is a special network for sharing files in a decentralized way.
- Blockchain Domain Names: Brave supports new types of website addresses, like those ending in .crypto.
- News Reader: Brave has a personalized news reader called Brave News. It shows you articles while keeping your privacy in mind.
- Wayback Machine Integration: If a website page isn't working, Brave can automatically check the Wayback Machine. This can show you an older, saved version of the page.
- Brave Playlist (iOS): On iOS devices, you can create playlists of audio and video. You can even play them offline!
Basic Attention Token
| Basic Attention Token | |
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| Development | |
| Original author(s) | Brave Software |
| White paper | Basic Attention Token White Paper |
| Implementation(s) | Brave Rewards |
| Initial release | 31 May 2017 |
| Development status | Active |
| Developer(s) | Brave Software, BAT Project |
| Ledger | |
| Circulating supply | 1.49 billion |
| Supply limit | 1.5 billion |
| Valuation | |
| Exchange rate | Floating |
The "Basic Attention Token" (BAT) is a type of cryptocurrency. It is built on the Ethereum blockchain. BAT was created to be used within Brave's ad system and as a digital currency.
In May 2017, Brave sold one billion BAT tokens very quickly. They also kept 500 million BAT to help grow the platform.
Advertisers need to buy BAT to show ads on the Brave Rewards platform. When you see these ads, you receive some of the BAT spent on the ad. You can then use this BAT to tip creators or withdraw it to a digital wallet.
as of 2021[update] Brave keeps 200 million BAT for building its ad system. It also set aside 300 million BAT to give to new browser users.
Brave has received funding from various investment companies. This money helps them develop and improve the browser.
See also
In Spanish: Brave (navegador web) para niños
