Customer Reviews (500)

Jhop92 • 2025-03-27T20:04:21-07:00

The browser works just as it’s made to work but the AI is by far the most inferior on the market; needs an update bad.

jshvarts23 • 2025-03-27T17:15:37-07:00

Videos will not stop playing after closing a tab. This is a bad vulnerability and has been reported to Brave for years. They keep saying “turn off background media” to which every user already responds “it’s already off in brave settings and IOS”. They close the thread and cover their ears and hope no one brings it up again. This browser had good intentions during its early years. It is hott (vulnerable) garbage now.

DJM— • 2025-03-27T16:13:13-07:00

This would be my default browser if it had a true full screen mode. Having that bar at the top when scrolling is annoying. Great for privacy and getting rid of ads.

Summary of Key Insights

Brave Browser enjoys generally positive sentiment, with users praising its ad-blocking capabilities, privacy features, and speed. However, several pain points persist, including stability issues (crashing, freezing), sync problems, and inconsistent feature performance (e.g., VPN, AI). There are also complaints regarding the user interface, particularly after updates, and some users perceive a political bias in the news feed or search results. A significant number of users value Brave as a privacy-focused alternative to mainstream browsers, but feature inconsistencies and bugs detract from the overall experience. The AI assistant, Brave Leo, receives mixed reviews, with some finding it inferior to other AI tools.

  • Key Strengths: Ad blocking, privacy, speed (for some), customization options.
  • Key Weaknesses: Stability (crashing, freezing), sync issues, inconsistent feature performance, UI/UX problems, perceived political bias.
  • Overall Sentiment: Positive, but with significant caveats.
  • Overall Rating: Approximately 4.0 stars (based on review score distribution).
  • Score Distribution: 5-star: 58.2%, 4-star: 11%, 3-star: 8%, 2-star: 6.2%, 1-star: 16.6%

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 500 reviews
  • Time Frame: Reviews appear to span from early 2024 to late February/early March 2025.
  • Analysis Methods: The analysis involved manual review and categorization of user comments to identify recurring themes, sentiment, and feature requests. No automated sentiment analysis tools were used. Keyword extraction was performed manually to identify frequently mentioned features and issues.

Key User Pain Points

  • Stability Issues (Crashing, Freezing): A significant number of users report frequent crashes and freezes, especially on iPads. This leads to data loss (tabs, bookmarks) and a frustrating user experience.
  • Sync Problems: Syncing between desktop and iOS devices is unreliable, leading to lost bookmarks and settings.
  • Feature Inconsistencies (VPN, AI): The VPN is reported as being unreliable and sometimes non-functional. The AI assistant, Brave Leo, is criticized for providing inaccurate or unhelpful information.
  • UI/UX Problems: Recent updates have introduced UI changes that many users find confusing or less intuitive. Specific complaints include hidden bookmarks, inconvenient menu navigation, and lack of customization options.
  • Autoplaying Media: Unwanted autoplaying videos and audio are a recurring issue, despite users attempting to disable the feature.
  • YouTube Glitches: Issues with YouTube playback, including buffering problems, ad blocking inconsistencies, and freezing, are frequently reported.
  • "Block Cookies" Removal: The removal of the ability to block all cookies is a major concern for privacy-conscious users.
  • Loss of Tabs: Tabs disappearing randomly, or upon app closure, is a frustrating issue.
  • False Advertising/Billing Issues: Some users report being charged for subscriptions (VPN, Brave Leo Premium) despite canceling during the free trial period.
  • Redirects Not Blocked: Some users are still experiencing redirects and pop-ups on certain websites, even with ad blocking enabled.
  • Search Engine Quality: Some users find Brave's search engine results to be inferior to Google's or exhibiting political bias.

Frequently Requested Features

  • Website Translation: Many users request a built-in website translation feature.
  • Improved Customization: Users want more control over the app's appearance, including custom themes, background images, and icon options.
  • Full-Screen Mode: A true full-screen mode without the top bar is desired.
  • Improved Tab Management: Features like "close all tabs" and better tab syncing are frequently requested.
  • Extension Support on iOS: Users want the ability to use browser extensions on the iOS app, similar to Safari.
  • AirPlay Support on Mobile: AirPlay support on the mobile app, consistent with the iPad version, is desired.
  • Mute Tabs: The ability to mute individual tabs is a highly requested feature.
  • More granular cookie control: More specific control over cookie management.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Ad Blocking: The most consistently praised feature is Brave's effective ad blocking, especially on YouTube.
  • Privacy: Users value Brave's privacy-focused approach and its commitment to protecting user data.
  • Speed: Many users report that Brave is faster than other browsers.
  • Customization: Users appreciate the ability to customize the browser's settings and appearance.
  • Built-in VPN: The built-in VPN is seen as a valuable addition, although its reliability is questioned.
  • Playlist Feature: The ability to create playlists and download videos for offline viewing is well-received.
  • Brave Wallet: The integrated crypto wallet is appreciated by users interested in Web3.
  • Brave News: The Brave News feature is liked by some, but others complain about its perceived bias.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Address Stability Issues: Investigate and resolve the frequent crashing and freezing problems, especially on iPads. This is the most critical issue affecting user experience.
  • Improve Sync Functionality: Fix the unreliable syncing between desktop and iOS devices.
  • Restore Cookie Blocking Options: Reintroduce the ability to block all cookies, or provide more granular control over cookie management.
  • Fix YouTube Glitches: Address the issues with YouTube playback, including buffering, ad blocking inconsistencies, and freezing.
  • Investigate Autoplay Issues: Resolve the problem of unwanted autoplaying media, ensuring that settings to disable autoplay are effective.

Medium Priority:

  • Refine UI/UX: Re-evaluate recent UI changes and address user complaints about navigation, menu organization, and customization options.
  • Improve VPN Reliability: Investigate and improve the reliability of the built-in VPN.
  • Enhance Brave Leo AI: Improve the accuracy and usefulness of the AI assistant, Brave Leo.
  • Implement Website Translation: Add a built-in website translation feature.
  • Improve Documentation and Support: Provide clear and easily accessible documentation and support resources.

Low Priority:

  • Add More Customization Options: Offer more options for customizing the app's appearance, such as custom themes and background images.
  • Implement Full-Screen Mode: Add a true full-screen mode without the top bar.
  • Add Extension Support on iOS: Explore the possibility of adding browser extension support to the iOS app.
  • Investigate Perceived Bias: Address concerns about political bias in the news feed and search results.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • AI-Powered Privacy Assistant: A standalone app that uses AI to provide personalized privacy recommendations and automatically configure browser settings for optimal privacy.
  • Decentralized VPN Marketplace: A platform that allows users to buy and sell VPN services, with a focus on transparency and user control.
  • Modular Browser: A browser that allows users to choose which features they want to install, reducing bloat and improving performance.

Trends and Observations

  • Negative Sentiment After Updates: A recurring pattern is that updates, while intended to improve the app, often introduce new bugs or UI changes that negatively impact user sentiment.
  • Strong Emphasis on Privacy: Users consistently emphasize the importance of privacy features. Any perceived erosion of privacy is met with strong criticism.
  • Language Preferences: While the majority of reviews are in English, there are also reviews in Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese and other languages, suggesting a global user base.
  • Polarizing AI: Brave Leo is a divisive feature. Some find it useful, while others consider it inferior to other AI tools and a distraction.
  • Longstanding Bugs: Some bugs, such as the tab-switching issue on iOS, have persisted for years, indicating a need for better bug tracking and resolution processes.

Conclusion

Brave Browser has a strong foundation as a privacy-focused alternative to mainstream browsers. However, persistent stability issues, inconsistent feature performance, and UI/UX problems are detracting from the overall user experience. Addressing these issues, particularly the high-priority ones, is crucial for maintaining user loyalty and attracting new users. By focusing on stability, reliability, and user-centric design, Brave can solidify its position as a leading privacy browser.

Overall Recommendation: Prioritize bug fixes and stability improvements, carefully consider user feedback when making UI changes, and maintain a strong commitment to privacy.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/brave-browser-search-engine/id1052879175?uo=2