Brave is an open-source shitcoin based browser, but if you are smart you can make it into a solid Bitcoin browser.
The goodies
- Solid native Ad and trackers blocker (i.e. it's implemented in c++ and doesn't take extra resources like JS extensions).
- Native Tor support (if you care about top notch privacy, I would recommend using Tor Browser instead, but for basic browsing it works well).
- Support for Chrome extensions (since Brave is Chromium based, it has all the Chromium goodies, like extensions and devtools).
The baddies
- By default it presents you with a bunch of spam and ads.
- It's shitcoin based and pushes the shitcoin on you in multiple ways (the idea is reasonable, you get paid tokens for your "attention" and can automatically contribute those to authors you like... so like Stacker News, but web).
- Disabling the spam and shitcoin stuff is tricky and requires you to go through multiple hoops.
Brave setup
Now here is a short tutorial for how to set up Brave:
- First install Brave from brave.com
- Open Brave and let's harden it (inspired by amazing anonypla tutorial (mirror) - see the note on the bottom)
- Go into Settings > Appearances
- Enable: Hide Brave Rewards
- Enable: Use wide address bar
- Go into Settings > Shields
- Set based on taste, but I recommend especially "Set Upgrade to HTTPS to enabled"
- Go into Settings > Social media Blocking
- Disable everything you don't need
- Go into Settings > Security and privacy
- Disable: Allow privacy-preserving product analytics (P3A)
- Disable: Automatically send daily usage ping to Brave
- Go into Settings > Extensions
- Disable everything except Private Windows with Tor (and maybe WebTorrent) and both Resolve methods set to “Ask”
- Go into Settings > Wallet
- Disable: Show Brave Wallet icon on toolbar
- Do not ever enable Brave Rewards (button should be hidden now)
- Go into Settings > Appearances
- Open a new Tab
- Click on "Customize" bottom right
- Disable: Background Image > "Show sponsored images"
- Disable: Cards (the toggle is on the bottom)
Cool tips & tricks
(this my set of tips, you should consider your privacy implications and risk factors)
- Add Alby wallet for paying with Lightning on any website
- Add PushToKindle to send articles to your Kindle for later and comfier reading
- Add Dark Reader (open-source) to turn every website into darkmode
- Use Brave Search, it works quite well and if you issue query with "some query g!", then it switches to Google
- In Settings search for and enable "Speedreader" mode to remove all clutter and just get the content on many websites
- Use Brave News on New Tab when you scroll down. The news actually have a nice UX, but you will probably see Ads there (you can also point it at any RSS feed)
- Install Brave on your phone to get the same Ad block features. You will again have to similarly disable all the shitcoin stuff, but on the flip side "automatic dark mode" is already included and can be enabled.
Now you have a Bitcoin enabled, privacy improving browser! You can use Alby to fund or withdraw from your Stacker News account and have all the fun.
Be careful here though. Browsers change and so a year from now, the recommendations may also be completely different. Maybe at that point we all use Impervious Browser.