How to set up a shortcut to open Brave in private mode.

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Overview

Opening Brave in private mode by default can enhance your privacy, streamline your workflow, and ensure sensitive browsing sessions remain isolated. This article walks you through creating desktop or launcher shortcuts for Windows, macOS, and Linux that launch Brave directly in private mode.

Prerequisites

  • Brave Browser Installed: Ensure you have the latest version of Brave installed on your system.
  • Basic Permissions: You may need permission to create files on your desktop or in application folders.
  • Administrator or Sudo Access: Required only on some Linux distributions when installing desktop entries system-wide.

Windows

Step 1: Locate the Brave Executable

  1. Open File Explorer and navigate to the installation folder, typically:
    • C:Program FilesBraveSoftwareBrave-Browser
    • or C:Program Files (x86)BraveSoftwareBrave-Browser
  2. Right-click on brave.exe and choose Copy address as text.

Step 2: Create the Shortcut

  1. Right-click on your Desktop and select New gt Shortcut.
  2. In the target field, paste the path to brave.exe, then add –incognito. For example:

    C:Program FilesBraveSoftwareBrave-Browserbrave.exe –incognito

  3. Click Next, give your shortcut a name like Brave Private, then click Finish.

Step 3: Customize the Icon (Optional)

  1. Right-click the new shortcut and select Properties.
  2. Click Change Icon… and browse to brave.exe to use the Brave logo.
  3. Apply changes and OK.

macOS

Method 1: Using Automator

  1. Open Automator from /Applications.
  2. Select Application as the document type.
  3. Search for Run Shell Script and drag it into the workflow area.
  4. In the script box, enter:

    open -a Brave Browser –args –incognito

  5. Save the Automator application as Brave Private.app on your Desktop or in /Applications.
  6. Double-click Brave Private.app to launch Brave in private mode.

Method 2: Direct Command Line Shortcut

  1. Open Terminal.
  2. Enter the command:

    alias bravep=open -a Brave Browser –args –incognito

  3. Add the alias line to your shell config file (e.g., ~/.zshrc or ~/.bash_profile).
  4. Reload your profile with source ~/.zshrc (or appropriate file).
  5. Type bravep in Terminal to open private mode.

Linux

Step 1: Create a .desktop File

  1. Open a text editor and create a file named brave-private.desktop.
  2. Populate it with:

    [Desktop Entry]
    Name=Brave Private
    Comment=Open Brave in Private Mode
    Exec=/usr/bin/brave-browser –incognito
    Icon=brave-browser
    Terminal=false
    Type=Application
    Categories=NetworkWebBrowser

  3. Save the file to ~/.local/share/applications/ (for a single user) or /usr/share/applications/ (system-wide, sudo may be required).

Step 2: Make It Executable

  1. Run in Terminal:

    chmod x ~/.local/share/applications/brave-private.desktop

  2. The new launcher will appear in your application menu as Brave Private.

Testing the Shortcut

  • Double-click the shortcut or launcher entry.
  • Verify that Brave opens directly in a private window (usually indicated by dark borders and an “Incognito” label).

Troubleshooting

Shortcut Doesn’t Launch

Ensure the path to the executable is correct and that the –incognito flag is outside any quotation marks enclosing the path.

No Private Indicator

Confirm you’re using a recent Brave version and that additional startup flags or enterprise policies aren’t overriding the parameter.

Permissions Issues on Linux

Double-check file permissions and the Exec path in your .desktop entry. Running chmod x and logging out/in can help.

Advanced Customizations

  • Multiple Profiles: Use –profile-directory=Profile 2 along with –incognito to target specific profiles.
  • Additional Flags: Combine –incognito with other arguments like –disable-plugins or –disable-extensions for further lockdown.
  • Automated Scripts: Wrap the launch command in batch or shell scripts to perform pre-launch tasks (clearing caches, setting environment variables).

With these steps, you can create convenient shortcuts across all major platforms to open Brave in private mode instantly, ensuring each browsing session starts in a secure, incognito environment.