Brave now lets you isolate work and personal browsing with containers — here’s how

If you’ve ever wished you could stay logged into two different Google accounts at once without using a separate browser, you’ll appreciate what Brave just added. The browser now includes built-in support for containers — a way to keep cookies, sessions, and site data separated by task or identity. Firefox users have had this for years through an extension. Brave is catching up with a native implementation that hooks into its existing privacy tools.

Here’s what changed, how to set it up, and whether it’s a meaningful upgrade for privacy-focused browsing.

What happened

Starting with version 1.78 (released in July 2026), Brave introduced a native container system. You can create different containers (Brave calls them “profiles” in the sidebar but the official name is “containers” in settings) and assign tabs to them. Each container has its own cookie jar, local storage, and cache. Sites you visit in one container won’t see data from another.

The feature lives in the left sidebar or on the new tab page. Click the container icon, choose or create a container, and any tab you open in it stays isolated. You can also right-click a tab to move it to a different container.

Unlike Firefox’s approach, which relies on a browser extension (Multi-Account Containers), Brave’s version is built directly into the browser. That means it integrates with Brave Shields and fingerprinting protection without needing an add-on. It also works with the browser’s “Forgetful Browsing” mode, which can automatically clear cookies when you close a container.

Why it matters for privacy

The main benefit is session isolation. Tracking networks and advertisers often use third-party cookies to follow you across sites. Containers don’t directly block tracking — they just keep each site’s data separate. But combined with Brave’s built-in cookie blocking and fingerprinting randomization, containers add a layer of compartmentalization.

You can put your social media accounts in one container, your banking in another, and your shopping in a third. That way, even if a site loads a tracker from the same domain (like a Facebook pixel), it can’t connect your browsing across different containers. It’s a practical way to stop cross-site correlation without losing the convenience of staying logged in.

For people who manage multiple identities — a work account and a personal account on the same service like Google, Slack, or GitHub — containers let you keep both open at once. No more logging out and back in, and no risk of mixing up sessions.

How to use containers in Brave

Setting up a container takes a few clicks:

  1. Open Brave and click the small rectangle icon in the sidebar (or press Ctrl+Shift+E on Windows/Linux, Cmd+Shift+E on Mac).
  2. In the panel, you’ll see a list of existing containers. By default there’s a “Personal” and “Work” container.
  3. Click “New Container” to create one. Give it a name and choose a color to make it easy to spot.
  4. Open a tab while that container is selected, or right-click any tab and choose “Move Tab to Container” to relocate it.

Containers persist until you close them. You can have multiple tabs open in the same container, and they share cookies and logins with each other.

If you want to start fresh in a container without keeping history, you can also use Brave’s “Forgetful Browsing” option to clear container data automatically after you close it.

How it compares to Firefox Multi-Account Containers

Brave’s implementation is simpler than Firefox’s extension, but that’s both a strength and a limitation.

  • Ease of use: Brave’s containers are right in the sidebar, no extra setup. Firefox’s extension needs to be installed and configured, and you may need to create container rules for specific sites.
  • Integration: Brave’s containers respect Shields settings and fingerprinting protection. Firefox’s add-on is third-party and doesn’t always mesh perfectly with the browser’s anti-tracking features.
  • Limitations: Firefox containers allow you to assign a specific proxy or VPN per container (via extensions). Brave doesn’t support per-container routing yet. Also, Firefox’s container tabs show a colored badge on the tab itself — Brave only shows the container name in the sidebar. Some users may find Brave’s approach less visible.

If you need per-container VPN routing or automatic site-based containers (like always opening Twitter in a “Social” container), Firefox with the extension is still more flexible. For most people, Brave’s build-in containers will cover the basics.

What you can do now

If you’re a Brave user, check your browser version (go to brave://settings/help). If you’re on 1.78 or later, the feature is already available. Open the sidebar and start organizing your tabs into containers. I’d suggest starting with two: one for your Google/email accounts and one for everything else. From there, add more as you find repetitive logins you want to keep separate.

No extension required, and no privacy trade-off — it’s all in the browser.

Sources

  • Brave browser release notes for version 1.78 (July 2026).
  • Firefox Multi-Account Containers documentation (Mozilla).
  • Brave community forums and changelogs discussing container feature.