Earlier this year, the people behind Brave Browser bought a search engine and turned it into something that they could call their own, allowing their users to search the web privately. Now, after a few months in beta, Brave Search has replaced Google as the default search engine in the latest version of the Brave Browser, which could be said to be a brave move.
The main advantage of using Brave Search over other search engines is that it’s built on top of an independent index and doesn’t track anything, helping to maintain user privacy. As the default option for search in Brave’s Chromium-based browser, it’s meant to give users “the privacy and independence of a search/browser alternative” to Big Tech.
In addition to offering its own search engine as the default, Brave is also introducing the Web Discovery Project (WDP). It’s described as a “privacy-preserving” system that allows users to share data that can improve Brave Search coverage and quality while keeping them anonymous. It’s an opt-in feature right now, so users can choose whether or not to enable it and participate.
According to Brendan Eich, CEO and co-founder of Brave, they see this step as one that will boost the mass-market adoption of its own search engine. “As we know from experience in many browsers, the default setting is crucial for adoption,” said Eich, “and Brave Search has reached the quality and critical mass needed to become our default search option, and to offer our users a seamless privacy-by-default online experience.”
To experience Brave Browser with the new default search engine, just download the latest update — version 1.31 for the desktop and Android app, and version 1.32 for the iOS app. A fully localized version is available for five initial countries — the US, UK, Canada, France, and Germany — with more locales to be added in the coming months. You can also try out Brave Search in any other browser by heading to search.brave.com.
