Brave Browser Adds Multi-Account Containers: How to Use the New Privacy Feature
Brave recently added support for multi-account containers, a feature that lets you keep separate browsing contexts for different parts of your life. If you’ve used Firefox’s Multi-Account Containers add-on, the idea will be familiar. In Brave, containers are built directly into the browser – no extra extension needed.
Containers work by isolating cookies, site data, and storage per container. That means a site you visit inside a “Work” container won’t see the session data from your “Personal” container. For privacy-conscious users, this is a practical way to prevent identity merging across services, and it also helps with day-to-day organization like keeping multiple accounts logged in on the same site.
What happened
Brave introduced container support in version 1.60 (the exact minor build may vary; check your browser’s about:version). The feature is listed under Settings > Privacy and Security > Containers. It’s still relatively new, so you might not see it if your browser hasn’t updated yet.
The implementation is similar to what Firefox offers with its official add-on, but Brave’s version is baked into the core settings. That means there is no separate extension to install, and the isolation is applied at the browser level rather than through an add-on.
Why it matters
The main privacy benefit is that containers block trackers from linking your activity across different sites. For example, if you’re logged into Google for personal email and later visit a site that uses Google Analytics for work, the two sessions remain separate. The same is true for Facebook, Twitter, or any other third‑party service that might try to stitch together a profile.
Beyond privacy, containers solve a practical problem: logging into multiple accounts on the same service. Instead of using separate browser profiles or private windows, you can keep a work Gmail in one container and a personal Gmail in another, each with its own cookies and login state. Switching between containers is as simple as clicking the container name in the address bar or using a keyboard shortcut.
What readers can do
To start using containers in Brave:
- Open the browser and go to Settings (brave://settings).
- Navigate to Privacy and Security > Containers.
- Turn on Enable containers.
- You’ll see a list of default containers: Personal, Work, Banking, Shopping. You can also create custom ones.
- To open a tab in a specific container, right‑click a link or the address bar and choose Open in New Container Tab, then pick the container. Alternatively, you can assign websites to always open in a particular container using the “Assign site to container” option.
Here are a few practical setups:
- Work vs. Personal: Keep your office Slack, email, and project tools in a Work container, and your social media, news, and personal accounts in Personal.
- Multiple accounts on the same site: Assign a second Gmail or Twitter account to a separate container so you can stay logged into both without conflict.
- Online shopping and banking: Use a Banking container for financial sites, which prevents them from seeing your other browsing habits and reduces tracking.
Once you start using containers, you’ll notice that sites within a container do not share cookies with other containers. This also means that some single‑sign‑on flows may break – for instance, logging in with Google from a different container won’t automatically carry your session. That’s by design, but it’s a trade‑off worth noting.
Limitations and tips
Containers are not a full substitute for a VPN or a private browsing session. The isolation applies to site data, but your IP address remains the same. If you need to hide your location, you still need a VPN or Tor.
Also, a few sites rely on cross‑container storage for features like embedded maps or payment buttons. If something doesn’t work, try opening it outside the container or in a different container. Brave’s default privacy settings already block third‑party trackers, so containers add an extra layer but aren’t essential for every user.
Lastly, if you switch to a new device or reinstall the browser, container assignments are synced via Brave Sync if you have it enabled. Otherwise you’ll need to reconfigure them.
Should you use containers?
For anyone who juggles multiple online identities or simply wants to reduce the data trail left across unrelated websites, containers are a worthwhile addition. They give you fine‑grained control without requiring complex browser profiles or clearing cookies constantly.
Give it a try with two or three containers and see if the separation feels useful. It’s a small change, but it can make a real difference in how your browser handles privacy and organization day‑to‑day.
Sources: Feature details based on Brave’s official release notes for version 1.60 and later. Container behavior follows the same isolation model described in Mozilla’s documentation for Firefox Multi-Account Containers.