Where Brave Browser Profiles Are Located

[289wk]

With Brave Browser running, open a New Window and go to: brave://version

Scroll down to Profile Path: You should see, for

Linux OS - usually but not always:

/home/[username]/.config/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser/[profile_folder_name]

MacOS: /Users/[username]/Library/Application Support/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser/[profile_folder_name]

Windows OS: C:\Users\[UserName]\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\[profile_folder_name]

The actual Profile folder names for [profile_folder_name] would be:

• Default
• Profile 1
• Profile 2
• Profile n [where n is the next increment: 3, 4, . . . etc.]

Upon the original installation and setup of Brave Browser (“BB”):

The 1st BB User Profile is named Profile 1 and its data is maintained within the folder named Default:

• MacOS: /Users/[username]/Library/Application Support/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser/Default
• Windows OS: C:\Users\[UserName]\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default

When proceeding with the creation of additional BB User Profiles:

The 2nd BB User Profile name will be Profile 2 and its data will be maintained within the folder named Profile 1:

• MacOS: /Users/[username]/Library/Application Support/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser/Profile 1
• Windows OS: C:\Users\[UserName]\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Profile 1

The 3rd BB User Profile name will be Profile 3 and its data will be maintained within the folder named Profile 2:

• MacOS: /Users/[username]/Library/Application Support/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser/Profile 2
• Windows OS: C:\Users\[UserName]\AppData\Local\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Profile 2

Repeating the pattern of BB User Profile creations:

• Actual 1st BB User Profile data is in folder named Default
• Actual 2nd BB User Profile data is in folder named Profile 1
• Actual 3rd BB User Profile data is in folder named Profile 2
• Actual 4th BB User Profile data is in folder named Profile 3

Renaming the BB User Profile name(s) . . . DOES NOT CHANGE the folder names and structure:

• Renaming 1st BB User Profile name, from Profile 1 to Bob8 ← still uses folder named Default
• Renaming 2nd BB User Profile name, from Profile 2 to Hope ← still uses folder named Profile 1
• Renaming 3rd BB User Profile name, from Profile 3 to Emma ← still uses folder named Profile 2
• Renaming 4th BB User Profile name, from Profile 4 to Work ← still uses folder named Profile 3

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DO NOT CHANGE the names of the folders.

Also, do not swap folders that have unmatched names. For example, do not swap folder Profile 2 for folder Profile 5.

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BB user’s PROFILE data, within a BB user’s profile folder (Default folder, Windows OS example):

• %LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default

The following list of items, are known for being replaceable - BUT NO GUARANTEE OF SUCCESS:

• Bookmarks [JSON file]
• History [SQLite file]
• Login Data [passwords, SQLite file]
• Preferences [majority of browser settings, JSON file]
• Sessions [folder ← do not copy]
• [but you can copy the Sessions and Tabs files:]
• Session file example: “Session_13387619522050810” [SNSS file]
• Tabs file example: “Tabs_13396004968468207” [SNSS file]
• Top Sites [saved tiles on new tab page, SQLite file]
• Visited Links [binary file]
• Web Data [autofill data, SQLite file]

NOTES about all that...

NOTICE: Lots of info about Session [SNSS] files: ‘https://digitalinvestigation.wordpress.com/tag/snss/’

NOTICE: Re Session_13387619522050810 ← the long string of numbers are a date-and-time stamp. On a MacOS computer, the following command (date -r 13387619522050810) will reveal: Thu Apr 6 12:40:10 EST 424238744

NOTICE: View SQLite files by using DB Browser for SQLite Link

NOTICE: View JSON files by using Visual Studio Code Link

NOTICE: View certain Chromium LevelDB databases, by using LevelDB Viewer (GitHub)

NOTICE: A Profile 1 folder, for example, cannot be replaced by a profile folder of another name (such as Profile 2). Same for the other BB user profile folders. DO NOT CHANGE the BB user’s profile folders names.

NOTICE: The most durable files, are Bookmarks, Bookmarks.bak. They can be copied between the BB user profile folders.

FILE AND FOLDER PERMISSIONS: See

• https://community.brave.com/t/browser-wont-launch-after-install/606342/18
• https://community.brave.com/t/brave-doesnt-start-when-i-run-it-as-administrator-and-brave-shield-doesnt-work/628494/41