If Brave feels slow, identify what is slow before changing settings: startup, page loading, scrolling or video, one particular website, or tabs that keep reloading. The cause may be an extension, memory pressure, a site’s data or scripts, the network, or the computer—not necessarily Brave itself.
This guide focuses on Brave on Windows, macOS, and Linux desktop, where the performance controls discussed here are available. Brave’s documented minimums are Windows 10, macOS Big Sur 11, Android 8, and iOS 15; mobile menus and features differ from desktop. See Brave’s system requirements.
First, identify the kind of slowdown
“Slow” can describe different bottlenecks. A slow first load points toward the network, DNS, the site, or a browser extension; sluggish scrolling or video points more toward graphics, CPU load, or power-saving behavior. If only one site is affected, investigate that site before changing global settings.
- Slow startup: Brave may be reopening many tabs or loading several extensions.
- Slow page loading: Compare the same site on another browser or network before blaming Brave.
- Laggy scrolling or video: Check graphics behavior, system load, and Energy Saver.
- Tabs reloading: Memory Saver or pressure on system memory may be involved.
- One site only: Site data, permissions, Shields compatibility, or the site’s own performance may be the issue.
Change one thing at a time and compare the same page under the same conditions. That makes it easier to tell whether a fix helped and to undo it if it did not.
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Start with low-risk fixes
1. Update Brave and restart it
Updates can include browser, rendering, and bug fixes, but an update is not a guaranteed speed boost. On desktop, open Menu → Help → About Brave, let Brave check for updates, and relaunch if prompted. Note the version shown at brave://version if you are troubleshooting a change in performance. If the built-in updater fails, use Brave’s official download and installation instructions; installing over the existing copy is preferable to deleting your profile as a first step.
2. Close tabs and windows you no longer need
Tabs can retain pages, scripts, media, and background work, but they do not all use the same amount of CPU or memory. Close tabs you are finished with, and bookmark or group pages you plan to return to. There is no universal safe tab count: the impact depends on the pages and the computer.
To find a specific resource-heavy tab or extension, open Brave’s Task Manager from the main menu or press Shift + Esc on desktop. Look for unusually high CPU or memory use rather than assuming every open tab is equally costly.
3. Enable Memory Saver if you keep many tabs open
On desktop, go to Menu → Settings → System → Performance → Memory Saver. Memory Saver deactivates inactive tabs to free memory for active work; opening a deactivated tab reloads it. That can help when memory is constrained, but it can interrupt a live dashboard, call, music player, editor, or unsaved form. Add pages that need to stay active under Always keep these sites active. Details are in Brave’s Memory and Energy Saver guide.
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4. Disable extensions to find resource-heavy ones
Extensions can inspect pages, alter requests, run scripts, and use memory. Open Menu → More tools → Extensions, disable nonessential extensions, restart Brave, and test the same pages. If performance improves, re-enable extensions one at a time to identify the cause, then remove or replace the one that makes a measurable difference. Brave explains how to manage extensions.
Brave already includes Shields, so overlapping ad-blocking or privacy extensions may add complexity without being necessary. That does not mean every extension slows Brave; test rather than assuming.
Troubleshoot a particular site without weakening protection everywhere
5. Test Shields for that site only
Shields blocks ads and trackers, which can reduce page work, but stricter settings can also interfere with scripts, cookies, and embedded resources. Brave describes the feature and its trade-offs in its Shields overview.
- Open the affected site and click the Shields icon in the address bar.
- Temporarily turn Shields off for that site, then reload and compare.
- If the page works better, turn Shields back on and adjust only the needed site-specific setting.
Do not disable tracker blocking, HTTPS upgrades, Safe Browsing, or fingerprinting protection globally as a routine speed tweak. Site-specific and global controls are described in Brave’s Shields settings guide. Blocking scripts broadly may break sign-in, video, checkout, and other web-app functions.
6. Clear only the affected site’s data or cached files
Stale or corrupted cached resources can cause a particular site to misbehave; clearing all browser data is not a reliable general performance fix. Prefer removing data for the affected site through Brave’s site-data controls. Clear cached files first if the issue appears to be stale content; remove cookies or local storage only if needed, since these can sign you out or reset site preferences and app data. History is a record of visited pages and is normally unrelated to rendering speed.
After clearing a cache, the site may load more slowly on the first visit while it downloads resources again. Brave’s documented Android path is Menu → Settings → Brave Shields & Privacy → Clear browsing data; select the data types and time range before tapping Delete data. See Brave’s Android cookies and site-data guide. Desktop labels may differ by version.
Check rendering, battery use, and startup behavior
7. Review Energy Saver if the slowdown happens on battery
Energy Saver is intended to reduce power use, not universally make pages faster. Brave says it can reduce image-capture rates and other background tasks when the device is unplugged or its battery is low. If animations, video, or scrolling become less smooth on battery, test with Energy Saver off in Menu → Settings → System → Performance, then compare under the same conditions. Its controls and behavior are covered in Brave’s Performance features guide.
8. Test hardware acceleration as a reversible graphics check
Hardware acceleration may help with video and graphics-heavy pages, but an incompatible graphics driver or GPU can instead cause flickering, black screens, crashes, or poor performance. In Brave Settings, search for hardware acceleration, change the setting if it is available, relaunch, and test the same video or page. Keep whichever state works better, and consider checking for graphics-driver updates if the problem persists. Do not assume either setting is faster for every device.
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9. Reduce the number of tabs Brave opens at startup
If the delay is mainly when Brave launches, check the startup setting under Menu → Settings → Get started. Opening a New Tab page avoids restoring a large session; Continue where you left off is more convenient but may take longer when many tabs reopen. Remove unnecessary startup pages and resource-heavy dashboards. This targets startup time, not page performance after the browser has finished opening.
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10. Compare networks, devices, and VPN states
If pages take a long time to begin loading but scrolling and tab switching are responsive, test the same site in another browser, on another device using the same Wi-Fi, and—if possible—on a different network or wired connection. If every browser is slow on one network, investigate Wi-Fi signal, congestion, ISP routing, or the site itself.
A VPN can add latency, but its effect depends on server location, route, protocol, and congestion. Temporarily comparing with it disconnected can be informative, but doing so may reduce privacy or remove protections you rely on. Do not leave it off unless that trade-off is acceptable.
11. Change Secure DNS only as a controlled test
DNS affects how a domain name is resolved; it does not speed up the site’s server, the rest of the download, or page rendering. If sites pause before they begin loading, record the current Secure DNS setting, test several sites, try another supported mode or provider, and compare. Revert if resolution becomes slower or sites fail. Work, school, or parental-control networks may require their own DNS, and some networks block encrypted DNS.
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For broader diagnosis, check whether other apps are also slow and whether the computer is under CPU, memory, or disk pressure. If only video or animation stutters, browser cache is unlikely to address the underlying graphics or power issue.
Use profile recovery only after diagnosis
12. Test a fresh profile before reinstalling
A new Brave profile is a useful way to distinguish a profile-specific issue—such as an extension, setting, or site data—from a problem affecting the whole installation. Before resetting or removing anything, verify bookmarks, Sync status, passwords, wallets, and other important profile data. A reinstall may leave profile-level causes in place, and deleting a profile can remove data; neither step fixes a slow network or overloaded computer.
If the issue occurs only in the original profile, investigate its extensions and settings before migrating anything. If a fresh profile has the same problem, look beyond profile data to the network, graphics, operating system, and resource use. Brave’s internal pages can help: brave://extensions lists extensions, brave://gpu reports graphics status, and brave://version identifies the installed version. These internal pages can change between releases.
Match the symptom to the next test
| Symptom | Try first | Do not assume |
|---|---|---|
| Slow startup | Reduce restored tabs, review extensions, then test a fresh profile. | That reinstalling is the first or best fix. |
| Tabs reload often | Check Memory Saver and available system memory. | That the browser installation is damaged. |
| One site is slow or broken | Test site-specific Shields settings and clear that site’s data if needed. | That Shields should be disabled globally. |
| Video stutters | Test hardware acceleration and Energy Saver; check graphics behavior. | That clearing history will fix rendering. |
| All sites load slowly | Compare another browser, device, network, and VPN state. | That Brave is necessarily the cause. |
| Login or web app fails | Check affected-site cookies, permissions, and Shields settings. | That maximum blocking is compatible with every site. |
| Slow only on battery | Compare Energy Saver and system power behavior while plugged in. | That the browser alone explains the difference. |
Does Brave’s privacy protection make it slower than Chrome?
There is no single speed ranking that applies to every device, site, and configuration. Brave says Shields can make pages faster by blocking ads and trackers, but the result depends on what a site loads and how the browser is configured. A heavy extension, limited memory, or network delay can outweigh any one browser feature; compare the same pages under the same conditions rather than relying on a blanket claim.
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