Browser update on android phone

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Im at the hospital just jumped on their wifi and while I was in the brave browser on my android phone and I got a pop up for an update I accidentally hit it but couldnt figure out where it downloaded to since it wasnt from the play store. Then after it said to install the update I hit it by accident as I was trying to make it go away. I want to make sure it was legit and I have nothing to worry about.

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@TJPrince23

On Android, Brave’s official updates are normally delivered via the Play Store (or whichever store you originally used to install Brave), not as random in‑browser APK downloads from a website or Wi‑Fi network. A few points to consider:

  • If the popup did not open the Play Store “Brave Browser” page and instead tried to download an .apk file directly, that’s a red flag and likely not an official Brave update.
  • Public / hospital Wi‑Fi can inject or redirect traffic (for captive portals, ads, etc.), and in some cases may expose you to malicious “update” prompts or fake download pages.
  • Brave for Android itself has built‑in protections (e.g. using Google Safe Browsing by default) to warn about some known-bad downloads, but nothing is perfect, especially if the prompt was a system‑style dialog rather than a web page.

Since you already tapped the installer by accident, then err on the side of caution and do the following:

  1. Check app installation history

    • Open Settings → Apps (or Apps & notifications) → See all apps.
    • Look for any new or unfamiliar apps installed today/around the time this happened. If you see anything you don’t recognize, tap it and uninstall.

  2. Check Brave’s version and source

    • In Settings → Apps → Brave → App details, confirm it links to the Play Store Brave listing and that it shows as installed from Play Store.
    • Open the Play Store → search for “Brave Browser” → make sure it shows as “Installed” and update only from there if needed.

  3. Review downloads

    • Open your Android “Files” / “Downloads” app and look for any recent .apk files you don’t recognize.
    • If you see a suspicious APK, delete it.

  4. Disable unknown‑source installs (if enabled)

    • Go to Settings → Security (or Security & privacy) → “Install unknown apps”.
    • Make sure the browser or any random app does not have permission to install unknown apps unless you explicitly need it.

  5. Run a malware scan

    • If your device has Google Play Protect, open the Play Store → your profile icon → “Play Protect” → run a scan.
    • Optionally run a reputable mobile AV scanner from the Play Store for a one‑time check.

  6. If anything seems off

    • If you notice new apps, strange behavior, or persistent popups, back up your important data and consider a full factory reset to be completely safe.

I posted this reply, because of a possibly urgent matter. I am not an expert re Android and therefore presented your issue to Perplexity.ai . . . so all of the reply above, is that AI service’s work.

Brave Community member @Saoiray knows alot about Android, and probably knows what to do.

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Actually, yesterday when opening Brave, it DID popup about the update. It however invoked PlayStore to do it, but it ran in the background and relaunched itself.

That is actually an official mechanism being used. I don’t recall Android 12 doing it, but since being on Android 16, I have witnessed it. It’s only when Brave opens when not in memory when it does a quick PlayStore check to see if an update is available. Technically the popup is rendered by PlayStore I believe, but it does appear as if it’s from Brave.

I can sincerely confirm, it WAS an official update.

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