# Brave browser installing VPN services on Windows **URL:** https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/brave-browser-installing-vpn-services-on-windows/14450 **Category:** General **Tags:** browsers **Created:** 2023-10-15T14:36:41Z **Posts:** 17 ## Post 1 by @DaveM — 2023-10-15T14:36:41Z I updated Brave browser on Windows, and just like other users I quickly saw a popup saying “Brave VPN Service installed” + found a new icon next to clock named “Brave VPN”. When looking into it a bit more I found two services (using services.msc from command prompt) that I did not see before: Brave VPN Service Brave VPN Wireguard Service Both services had to be manually started (so they are not running by default), but just to be sure I set them to inactive. Perhaps this could/should be added to the guide for Brave browser? I also have not really found any proper information on this myself on Brave (looked at latest release notes), however on Reddit there is a thread [Reddit - The heart of the internet](https://www.reddit.com/r/brave_browser/comments/175qlyv/brave_vpn_just_autoinstalled_and_enabled_itself/) and also on their community some kind of comments [Brave has become Malware - Browser Feedback - Brave Community](https://community.brave.com/t/brave-has-become-malware/510414) If anyone has any info (link or so) from Brave team that would be appreciated - I’m now reconsidering if I should stay on Brave or move to some other browser. --- ## Post 2 by @anon5233878 — 2023-10-15T22:08:11Z Out of all the privacy tools I use, I feel like Brave is the most likely one to go down a path I will not be comfortable with. This is one example of that. Unfortunately, I do not think there exists a good chromium-based browser as an alternative. I am open to suggestions if anyone has any. --- ## Post 3 by @lovfi — 2023-10-15T22:43:52Z @Unperson, why do you require a chromium browser for desktop? These days a gecko-based browser like Firefox does everything chromium-based browsers do. Plus you have a lot of added customization on Firefox that you won’t get on Brave. --- ## Post 4 by @mika — 2023-10-16T01:01:51Z > [@lovfi](#): > > why do you require a chromium browser for desktop? These days a gecko-based browser like Firefox does everything chromium-based browsers do. Plus you have a lot of added customization on Firefox that you won’t get on Brave. Not the person you quoted, but I’ll chime in to say that I use Firefox for 99% of my desktop browsing, but every now and again I encounter something that doesn’t play well with Gecko. Mostly local government websites and things like that. That’s when I reach for Brave. --- ## Post 5 by @lovfi — 2023-10-16T01:33:55Z That would have to do with your configuration of the browser then. There shouldn’t be any breakage due to Gecko alone --- ## Post 6 by @anon5233878 — 2023-10-16T09:41:10Z I have Mullvad Browser for general browsing and since there are no cookie exceptions on Mullvad, I use Brave for websites where I need to stay logged in. Sometimes websites would not be compatible with the security level I have set on Mullvad. In that case, I find it easier to open that webpage on Brave instead of changing my security level and forgetting to set it back. --- ## Post 7 by @Hy77 — 2023-10-17T15:34:54Z Have you looked at Thorium, as a chromium alternative? > **[Thorium Browser](https://thorium.rocks/)** > > Chromium fork for Linux, Windows, MacOS, Android, and Raspberry Pi named after radioactive element No. 90. > **[Releases · Alex313031/thorium](https://github.com/Alex313031/Thorium/releases)** > > Chromium fork named after radioactive element No. 90. Windows and MacOS/Raspi/Android/Special builds are in different repositories, links are towards the top of the README.md. - Alex313031/thorium Alex also has a pretty decent Firefox fork. --- ## Post 8 by @jonah — 2023-10-17T16:46:28Z I was looking at Thorium the other day, but if you look at their releases they’re consistently far behind. The current release is 117 from a week ago, despite 118 being released to stable 2 weeks ago and 117 being released to stable a month ago. This is quite bad because it means it received the major WebP vulnerability fix nearly a month late for example. --- ## Post 9 by @anon54160479 — 2023-10-17T20:37:33Z That is another advantage of brave, they are quite fast --- ## Post 10 by @anon54160479 — 2023-10-17T20:39:57Z > [@DaveM](#): > > I updated Brave browser on Windows, and just like other users I quickly saw a popup saying “Brave VPN Service installed” + found a new icon next to clock Cannot confirm this on my 3 Windows instances --- ## Post 11 by @qwuzzy — 2023-10-18T00:10:21Z The services are on my computer, but the Brave VPN has been there since I first installed the browser months ago. I’ve had it for quite a while now. --- ## Post 12 by @You_will_own_nothing — 2023-10-18T22:43:55Z This post was mentioned on this [article](https://www.ghacks.net/2023/10/18/brave-is-installing-vpn-services-without-user-consent/). --- ## Post 13 by @DaveM — 2023-10-19T09:31:23Z Looks like the ”dock icon” only appeared also on one of my Windows machines. However Brave VPN services I found on other Windows also. I did not check if Brave VPN Windows services where installed before: I noticed the dock icon + found the reddit thread implying the Brave VPN Windows services are installed as part of recent update. --- ## Post 14 by @youdontneedtoknow22 — 2023-10-19T10:19:17Z ![grafik](//forum-uploads.privacyguidesusercontent.com/original/2X/e/eefbd7a0470f02b5484941bf1161a2a0dc0a5ef9.png) Lol I can confrim that it sets its vpn service to autostart on windows. That’s a joke As I posted some new steps for the brave browser and disabled the VPN, I thought it’s probably a bug that the browser crashes when VPN is disabled. But apparently they wanted it that way, so no one disables their VPN flag. --- ## Post 15 by @DaveM — 2023-10-20T17:12:34Z Looks like there is an official explanation about this: [Reddit - The heart of the internet](https://www.reddit.com/r/brave_browser/comments/17b0pxl/comment/k5kwd97/?context=3) And even a bug opened: [Windows should not install VPN services until VPN is purchased/enabled · Issue #33726 · brave/brave-browser · GitHub](https://github.com/brave/brave-browser/issues/33726) Might be going back to Brave browser myself - but good to stay aware. --- ## Post 16 by @pika — 2023-11-11T17:39:08Z ![Capture1](//forum-uploads.privacyguidesusercontent.com/original/2X/f/f36781a5cf131851a994b5380307a42c4081ed11.png) looks like brave is pushing its services too hard. --- ## Post 17 by @user1 — 2024-03-22T18:54:09Z It’s no longer the case, now vpn services are not installed until purchase. > **[Brave Release Notes | Brave](https://brave.com/latest/)** > > The Brave browser is a fast, private and secure web browser for PC, Mac and mobile. Download now to enjoy a faster ad-free browsing experience that saves data and battery life by blocking tracking software.