In Windows tasks, clicking a link in an app opens Brave in different task

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Description of the issue:

Running an app (e-mail or anything that allows http(s) links) in a Windows Task opens and switches to a Brave window in another Task IF 1) there is no open Brave window in the current Task, and 2) if there is an open Brave window in the other Task.

How can this issue be reproduced? (of course, make sure Brave is defined as the Default Browser)

  1. In Windows (10 or 11) go to the Desktop 2 task, start the Brave browser.

  2. Go to the Desktop 1 task, verify no Brave browser is running.

  3. Open an e-mail in a non-browser based e-mail client (I use Thunderbird), open an e-mail with a link to an website. Click on that link.

Expected result:

What should happen is Brave browser should open and access the website. What actually happens is Windows switches to Desktop 2 where the already open Brave browser accesses the website.

**Brave Version( check About Brave):**Brave is up to date. Brave 1.88.134 (Official Build) (64-bit) Chromium: 146.0.7680.153

Additional Information:

Windows version 10 ver 22H2 and version 11 Pro 29H2.

This is probably a Chromium problem as I have duplicated it with Brave, Chrome and Edge, but it does not duplicate with Firefox. I have also duplicated is with a link in a LibreOffice odt document.

This is a relatively new problem only showing up in the last couple months (as of March 19, 2026). Prior to that the behavior was as expected.

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Before I test, when you say Go to the Desktop 1 task, are you referring to this?

PXL_20260319_214340111
PXL_20260319_2143401111920×1440 792 KB

(Sorry for pic over screenshot, apparently when I try to screenshot that, it hides itself.)

1 Like
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Yes, Windows Tasks are labeled Desktop 1, Desktop 2, etc. I usually have 2 or 3 Tasks/Desktops open. If I have a Brave window open in Desktop 2, and e-mail open in a window in Desktop 1 (as well as the Thunderbird window that spawned the e-mail window) and then click on an http link in the e-mail, Windows switches from Desktop 1 to Desktop 2 and opens the http link in the Brave instance running there. It should have launched a new Brave instance in Desktop 1, which was always it’s previous behavior. Chromium based browsers exhibit this new behavior while Firefox still shows the older (and correct) behavior.

(Sorry it took me 2 weeks to get back to you, I had a lot going on…)