8 Pros and Cons of Using Brave on an iPhone Over Android
Brave is a popular browser for both desktop and mobile devices. Being a Chromium-based browser, it has multiple advantages: speed, performance, customizability, and privacy. However, when it comes to device-specific features, there are several differences.
These differences can make Brave better on one device than the other. For example, the Brave experience on an iPhone isn’t the same as using it on Android. The former is better in some ways, while it’s quite the opposite in others. So, here are a few pros and cons of using Brave on an iPhone over Android.
The Pros of Using Brave on an iPhone
What are the pros of using Brave on an iPhone compared to Android? Well, there are several. From saving media content to playlists to creating PDFs, Brave for iOS has several benefits. Let’s take a look below.
1. The Playlist Feature
One thing Brave’s iOS app has that isn’t available on its Android counterpart is its playlist feature. In 2021,iOS users got access to Brave Playlist, which allows them to save media such as music and videos to playlists. So, instead of bookmarking a song or video in Brave, you can use Brave Playlist instead.
After adding something to your playlist, it’s possible to view it offline for a limited period. You can add audio or video from sites like YouTube, Vimeo, and Twitch. When you add something to your playlist, Brave saves it in a format that’s only compatible with the Brave Media Player and can only appear on the device you saved it on. You can’t download it to your device.
Brave Playlist is convenient because it lets you have all your media in one place, available for offline viewing, completely free of charge. It also has a picture-in-picture feature that keeps the media playing in a floating window while you do other things on your iPhone.
2. Browser Lock for Extra Privacy and Security
Browsers are a treasure trove of sensitive information—our passwords, addresses, and search history. As such, we protect them from prying eyes by steering clear of suspicious websites andusing tools to improve our online privacy and security, such as VPNs and strong passwords.
Brave for iOS lets you take your privacy and security settings a step further with Browser Lock, which enables you to unlock Brave with Face ID, Touch ID, or your iPhone’s passcode. This way, no one can access Brave on your phone besides you. However, the feature is unique to Brave for iOS.
To enable Browser Lock, tap thethree dotsicon in the bottom menu and chooseSettings. Now, scroll down and toggle onBrowser Lock. Next time you launch Brave, it’ll require your Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode. you could also use an alternativemethod for locking apps on your iPhone, like Screen Time, to protect Brave.
3. Send Tabs to Your Linked Devices
Brave for iOS lets you send tabs to your other devices. it’s possible to send the webpage you’re looking at to any synced device. This can come in handy if you want to access the webpage on another device, particularly if you’re sending a webpage that can only be accessed on a desktop from your phone to your computer.
To use this feature in Brave’s iOS app, tap thethree dotsicon at the bottom-right corner of your screen and chooseSend To Your Devices. Next, select a device to send it to, then tapSend To Your Device. You’ll receive a notification on the receiving device, which you may tap or click to open.
4. Create PDFs
Want to create a PDF in Brave? Brave for iOS lets you do so. With it, you cancreate a PDF from any webpageand copy, share, or annotate it. It’s a handy feature to have.
The Cons of Using Brave on an iPhone
While using Brave on an iPhone has its fair share of pros, a few things detract from the experience. Android users don’t have to worry about the features we’re about to discuss.
1. You Can’t Group Tabs by Folder
While Brave for Android incorporated the multiple-tabs-in-one feature a while back, allowing you to merge tabs into groups, Brave for iOS still uses the ungrouped tab option. As such, you can’t organize your tabs into groups to prevent Brave from appearing cluttered.
Also, if you tend to have many tabs, you’ll have to scroll for a while before finding the one you’re looking for. It’s not at all convenient.
2. Mobile and Desktop Sites Often Look the Same
If you don’t like the look of a webpage on your phone, you can load its desktop version instead. However, Brave’s iOS app often fails at this; when youload the desktop version of a webpage, it looks exactly the same as the mobile version.
It’s frustrating because sometimes, the desktop version is the best way to view a webpage, and you can’t get that. Also, what if you don’t have access to a computer? Loading the desktop version of a webpage on Brave’s Android app gives you a vastly different and much better result.
3. The Bookmark Button Isn’t Visible on the Screen
You’re using Brave on your iPhone and have found a webpage you’d like to bookmark. Your finger hovers over your screen as you search for the bookmark button, but then you remember it isn’t on the screen.
Unfortunately, on iOS, you have to tap thethree dotsin the bottom menu, then chooseAdd Bookmark. It would be helpful if Brave’s iOS app had a convenient bookmark button like its Android counterpart.
4. You Can’t View Your Recent Tabs
Viewing your recent tabs can come in handy when you’d like to reopen a tab you accidentally closed. Unfortunately, on Brave’s iOS app, you can’t do that. You can view your browsing history for your iPhone and synced devices, but that’s it.
In comparison, Brave for Android lets you view the last five tabs you closed, so you can quickly locate and reload that tab you closed by mistake.
Brave Should Offer a Consistent Experience Across Platforms
Brave is one of the best privacy-oriented browsers out there, which is why it’s a popular option for those looking for an alternative to Chrome. Brave’s iOS and Android apps have many useful features that provide a seamless browsing experience, but the experience is inconsistent across both platforms.
Using Brave on an iPhone has advantages and disadvantages over using it on Android. There are things Brave could incorporate from the Android version and vice-versa. However, these differences don’t change the fact that Brave is equally popular on both devices.
Chrome may still be the most popular browser by far, but its security concerns make Brave look much better in comparison.
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