Privacy

How to Change Bookmark Icons in Brave Browser

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browser logos

Bookmark icons (also called favicons) help you quickly identify your saved sites. This tutorial shows you multiple ways to change or update these icons in Brave browser.

Table of Contents

  1. Automatic Update Method
  2. Using Browser Extensions
  3. Manual File Edit (Advanced)

Method 1: Automatic Update

Difficulty: Easy
Best for: When the website has changed its icon or the icon isn’t displaying correctly

Steps:

  1. Simply visit the bookmarked website
  2. Brave will automatically fetch and update the favicon
  3. Check your bookmarks bar or bookmarks manager to see the updated icon

Why this works: Brave caches favicons, and visiting the site forces it to refresh the cached icon.

Method 2: Browser Extensions

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Best for: Adding custom icons to bookmarks

Steps:

Installing an Extension:

  1. Open Brave browser
  2. Visit the Chrome Web Store (Brave supports Chrome extensions)
  3. Search for one of these extensions:
    • Bookmark Favicon Changer
    • Custom Bookmark Icon
    • Bookmark Manager (various options available)
  4. Click “Add to Brave” or “Add to Chrome”
  5. Confirm the installation

Using the Extension:

  1. Once installed, right-click on any bookmark
  2. Look for the new option added by the extension (usually “Change Icon” or similar)
  3. Choose from:
    • Uploading your own image file
    • Selecting from an icon library
    • Entering a custom URL for an icon
  4. Save your changes

Tip: Most extensions support PNG, JPG, and ICO file formats. For best results, use square images (16×16 or 32×32 pixels).

Method 3: Manual File Edit (Advanced)

Difficulty: Advanced
Best for: Power users comfortable with JSON editing
?? Warning: Always backup the Bookmarks file before editing!

Steps:

1. Close Brave Completely

  • Make sure Brave is fully closed (check your system tray)
  • This prevents the browser from overwriting your changes

2. Locate Your Bookmarks File

Windows:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\

macOS:

~/Library/Application Support/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser/Default/

Linux:

~/.config/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser/Default/

3. Backup the Bookmarks File

  • Find the file named Bookmarks (no extension)
  • Create a copy and name it Bookmarks.backup

4. Edit the Bookmarks File

  1. Open the Bookmarks file in a text editor (Notepad++, VS Code, or similar)
  2. The file is in JSON format
  3. Search for the name or URL of your bookmark
  4. Find the "favicon" field – it looks like this: "favicon": "data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KG..."
  5. Replace the base64 data with:
    • A URL to an icon: "favicon": "https://example.com/icon.png"
    • New base64 encoded image data

5. Save and Restart

  1. Save the file
  2. Open Brave
  3. Check your bookmark to see the new icon

Converting an Image to Base64:

If you want to embed a custom icon:

  1. Use an online tool like “Base64 Image Encoder”
  2. Upload your icon image (16×16 or 32×32 pixels recommended)
  3. Copy the resulting base64 string
  4. Paste it into the favicon field (including the data:image/png;base64, prefix)

Troubleshooting

Icon Not Updating?

  • Clear Brave’s cache: Settings ? Privacy and security ? Clear browsing data
  • Make sure you’re visiting the actual website, not a cached version
  • Wait a few minutes – favicon updates can be delayed

Extension Not Working?

  • Check if the extension has permissions enabled
  • Try restarting Brave after installing the extension
  • Verify the extension is compatible with your Brave version

Manual Edit Issues?

  • Ensure Brave was completely closed before editing
  • Check that your JSON syntax is valid (use a JSON validator)
  • Restore from your backup file if something breaks

Tips and Best Practices

  1. Icon Size: Use 16×16 or 32×32 pixel square images for best results
  2. File Format: ICO, PNG, and SVG formats work best
  3. Backup First: Always backup your Bookmarks file before manual editing
  4. Extension Method: For most users, browser extensions are the easiest and safest option
  5. Organize First: Consider organizing your bookmarks into folders before mass icon changes

Conclusion

Changing bookmark icons in Brave is straightforward once you know the right method:

  • Quick fix: Just visit the website
  • Custom icons: Use a browser extension
  • Full control: Edit the Bookmarks file manually (advanced users only)

Choose the method that best fits your technical comfort level and needs!

The Brave Web Browser: A Privacy-Focused Alternative

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A cell phone sitting on top of a wooden table with the logo of the Brave browser

The Brave web browser, launched in 2016 by Brave Software, is a free, open-source browser built on Chromium, the same engine powering Google Chrome. What sets Brave apart from other browsers is its uncompromising focus on user privacy, speed, and a unique approach to online advertising.

Key Features That Differentiate Brave

  1. Ad and Tracker Blocking: Unlike most browsers that allow third-party trackers to monitor user activity, Brave automatically blocks ads, trackers, and scripts that collect personal data. This results in faster page load times—often 2-4 times quicker than competitors like Chrome or Firefox—and a cleaner browsing experience.
  2. Privacy by Design: Brave uses HTTPS Everywhere to ensure secure connections and prevents fingerprinting, a technique used to identify users based on their device configurations. It also blocks malicious scripts and protects against phishing attempts, offering robust security without the need for extensions.
  3. Brave Rewards and the Basic Attention Token (BAT): Brave reimagines online advertising with its opt-in Brave Rewards program. Users can choose to view privacy-respecting ads and earn BAT, a cryptocurrency, which can be tipped to content creators or redeemed for rewards. This model contrasts with traditional browsers that rely on invasive, data-driven advertising.
  4. Tor Integration: For enhanced anonymity, Brave offers a private browsing mode with built-in Tor support, routing traffic through the Tor network to mask IP addresses. This feature goes beyond the standard incognito modes of other browsers, which don’t obscure your IP from websites.
  5. Cross-Platform Compatibility: Brave is available on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, with seamless sync for bookmarks, themes, and settings. Its Chromium base ensures compatibility with Chrome extensions, making it a versatile alternative.

How Brave Stands Apart

While browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Safari dominate the market, Brave’s privacy-first philosophy sets it apart. Chrome, for instance, is deeply tied to Google’s data-driven ecosystem, collecting user information for targeted ads. Firefox offers strong privacy features but requires manual configuration or extensions to match Brave’s out-of-the-box protections. Safari, while privacy-focused, is limited to Apple’s ecosystem and lacks Brave’s innovative ad model.

Brave’s commitment to speed is another differentiator. By blocking resource-heavy ads and trackers, it reduces data usage by up to 60%, making it ideal for users with limited bandwidth or slower devices. Its BAT system also empowers users to support creators directly, bypassing middlemen like ad networks.

Focus on Privacy

Brave’s core mission is to give users control over their online experience. It minimizes data collection, storing only essential, anonymized usage statistics. Unlike competitors that profit from user data, Brave’s model incentivizes privacy-respecting ads while allowing users to opt out entirely. Its open-source nature ensures transparency, with the code available for public scrutiny on GitHub.

Conclusion

The Brave browser offers a compelling alternative to traditional browsers by prioritizing privacy, speed, and user empowerment. Its ad-blocking, tracker-free browsing, and innovative rewards system make it a standout choice for those seeking a faster, safer, and more ethical web experience. For privacy-conscious users, Brave is a bold step toward reclaiming control online.