[Feature request] Ability to completely disable features we don't need or want to use (Brave Wallet, Brave Rewards, Brave Search, Brave VPN,...)

Description

I'm requesting setting(s) that could let us completely disable features we don't need or want to use.

Brave Wallet & Brave Rewards

I'm not a fan of crypto and those features don't have any meaning for me. Since I don't have a use for them, it would be nice if I could completely turn them off. Currently, I can disable them, but they are still left in the UI.

Screenshot_1 Screenshot_2

EDIT: Can be disabled using Group Policies, but not through Settings. More on that here.

Brave Search

Brave Search shows irrelevant results for me. It isn't available in the language of my country and doesn't show me the regional results. This also doesn't have any use for me so I use other search engine. But even though I don't have Brave Search selected as default search engine (not even for private tab), I still see huge Brave Search when I open the private tab.

Screenshot_3

Brave VPN

Brave VPN (this is valid only for Android); you can't disable it in flags like you can on the desktop version, so there's annoying Brave VPN entry in the menu which just wastes space there because it requires subscription.

Screenshot_4

Brave Shields

I'm using 3rd party ad blocker and have no use for the built-in Brave ad blocker. It would be awesome if we could get an option to disable context menu entry.

Screenshot_5

EDIT: Can be disabled when starting with `--disable-brave-extension`, but there should really be an option for this in the settings of the browser.

Steps to Reproduce

Disable Brave Wallet & Brave Rewards
Choose any other search engine other than Brave Search
Brave VPN can't be disabled on Android
Can't disable Brave Shields context menu

Actual result:

Leaves Brave Wallet & Brave Rewards parts in the UI
Leaves huge Brave Search bar in private tab
Leaves Brave VPN entry in the browser menu
Brave Shields context menu is always present

Expected result:

No Brave Wallet & Rewards parts in the UI
No Brave Search in the private tab start page
No Brave VPN entry in browser menu (on Android)
No Brave Shields context menu entry

Reproduces how often:

Easily reproduced

Brave version (brave://version info)

Brave | 1.59.120 Chromium: 118.0.5993.88 (Official Build) (64-bit) -- | -- Revision | 135f92a9af2134bc7d7aeba82f87ff5e68669410 OS | Windows 10 Version 21H2 (Build 19044.3570)

Version/Channel Information:

Can you reproduce this issue with the current release? Yes.
Can you reproduce this issue with the beta channel? Yes.
Can you reproduce this issue with the nightly channel? Yes.

Other Additional Information:

Does the issue resolve itself when disabling Brave Shields? No.
Does the issue resolve itself when disabling Brave Rewards? No.
Is the issue reproducible on the latest version of Chrome? No.

Miscellaneous Information:

None.

The real question for users like you is: why are even you using Brave?

What's the point if you are going to disagree/complain about everything they have added as a spork? Maybe you should use another browser if you are requesting this. You can already disable features on the flags anyway, only because buttons exist, doesn't mean you have to click them, which makes this whole request weird... I know people are entitled to their opinions, but doesn't mean it is it makes sense to want Ungoogled Chromium in Brave, when you could be using Thorium or Ungoogled Chromium.

For example, the "I use 3rd party adblocker". Why should Brave even listen to a request like that? Brave adblocker is deeply integrated, they already let you disable the adblocker, and they added a lot of flags to disable adblocker and shields features.

You don't even understand the benefits of Brave adblocker, so why are you even disabling it?

it won't get affected by manifestv3 like your 3rd party adblocker probably will, because you use uBlock.
Brave adblocker can do CNAME uncloaking, making Brave Browser the only Chromium browser to be able to do that. No, uBlock or any other adblocker in Chromium can do that, because Chromium never provided a DNS API like Firefox has.
It is not an extension, therefore it is not restricted like an Extension API adblocker, example, with brave://flags/#brave-extension-network-blocking flag, you can block network requests in Extensions. Also, this is pretty important, because if you use Edge sidebar, you will get ads, and any tracker, extensions can't touch it, while Brave can do it as an advanced native adblocker.
it is faster, you might not care about speed, but Brave adblocker is faster than uBlock, reason why uBlock barely does anything when running side by side.
Also, Brave adblocker includes the scriplet injection to remove Brave detection in pages where they use it to block Brave. That means you will get blocked in many pages without it, even CNN español was blocking Brave and Adobe and Archive and so many, so it because they dislike Brave like Archive or they think Brave having a native adblocker deserves being blocked. What are you going to do about this by only using uBlock?

If you were developing a software, and a fork, and some user requested what you are requesting, would you listen to them? there are 900 Chromium alternatives and Firefox that can do what you want, no rewards, no adblocker, no VPN and no buttons to remember they exist. So again, why are you using Brave if you want ungoogled or throrium or well... Firefox? or Chrome or Vivaldi or anything else but Brave?

Edit: BTW, element picker has nothing to do with Adblocker, you can already disable it if you run Brave with --disable-brave-extension. It will disable WPD and the element picker

The real question for users like you is: why are even you using Brave?

Mainly for privacy reasons, but for the features too.

What's the point if you are going to disagree/complain about everything they have added as a spork? Maybe you should use another browser if you are requesting this.

I'm not complaining. Where did I complain? I just requested a feature; few entries in the settings and that's all. Why would I switch to another browser if I use many features of this one?

You can already disable features on the flags anyway, only because buttons exist, doesn't mean you have to click them, which makes this whole request weird... I know people are entitled to their opinions, but doesn't mean it is it makes sense to want Ungoogled Chromium in Brave, when you could be using Thorium or Ungoogled Chromium.

It just doesn't make sense that I can disable Brave VPN & Brave News in the desktop version, and not in the Android. It doesn't make sense when I disable Brave VPN & Brave News, they don't appear as placeholders in the UI, but Brave Rewards, Brave Wallet and Brave Search does.

You don't even understand the benefits of Brave adblocker, so why are you even disabling it?

Actually, I didn't disable it. I use it along with uBlock Origin, but not for the ad blocking. I use it for everything else (fingerprinting protection, HTTPS upgrade, fingerprinting protection etc.). And no, I didn't know Brave can't block those, because there's little information on their website about their ad blocker. I may start using it when ManifestV3 becomes unavoidable.

Anyway, I use uBlock Origin because then I have greater control over what gets blocked. uBlock Origin isn't just ad blocker, but content blocker instead. Also, I have to mention, filters I use in uBlock Origin are developed by Brave employees.

If you were developing a software, and a fork, and some user requested what you are requesting, would you listen to them? there are 900 Chromium alternatives and Firefox that can do what you want, no rewards, no adblocker, no VPN and no buttons to remember they exist. So again, why are you using Brave if you want ungoogled or throrium or well... Firefox? or Chrome or Vivaldi or anything else but Brave?

I would. I'd take any suggestion into consideration. Because I think, users should have a voice in product development. Products are made for users.

And can you believe, out of these 900 Chromium alternatives, none are secure because they skip Chromium versions and update rarely? Also, none is as customizable as Brave and Vivaldi, but Vivaldi is missing many features I use in Brave. Firefox and their forks work terrible for me and their font rendering was weird. This is why I use Chromium-based browser only.

Edit: BTW, element picker has nothing to do with Adblocker, you can already disable it if you run Brave with --disable-brave-extension. It will disable WPD and the element picker

Will try this, thanks!

Also need ability to see Brave Rewards Ads as Opt-in at Brave News, just like there is a toggle to Show sponsored images

Button to disable ad background image

Need button to not show the Ads in `Brave News`

Currently users are forced to see ads when they choose to enable Brave News. This will make users not use the feature of Brave News if Ads are forced.

The real question for users like you is: why are even you using Brave?

What's the point if you are going to disagree/complain about everything they have added as a spork? Maybe you should use another browser if you are requesting this. You can already disable features on the flags anyway, only because buttons exist, doesn't mean you have to click them, which makes this whole request weird... I know people are entitled to their opinions, but doesn't mean it is it makes sense to want Ungoogled Chromium in Brave, when you could be using Thorium or Ungoogled Chromium.

For example, the "I use 3rd party adblocker". Why should Brave even listen to a request like that? Brave adblocker is deeply integrated, they already let you disable the adblocker, and they added a lot of flags to disable adblocker and shields features.

You don't even understand the benefits of Brave adblocker, so why are you even disabling it?

it won't get affected by manifestv3 like your 3rd party adblocker probably will, because you use uBlock.

Brave adblocker can do CNAME uncloaking, making Brave Browser the only Chromium browser to be able to do that. No, uBlock or any other adblocker in Chromium can do that, because Chromium never provided a DNS API like Firefox has.

It is not an extension, therefore it is not restricted like an Extension API adblocker, example, with brave://flags/#brave-extension-network-blocking flag, you can block network requests in Extensions. Also, this is pretty important, because if you use Edge sidebar, you will get ads, and any tracker, extensions can't touch it, while Brave can do it as an advanced native adblocker.

it is faster, you might not care about speed, but Brave adblocker is faster than uBlock, reason why uBlock barely does anything when running side by side.

Also, Brave adblocker includes the scriplet injection to remove Brave detection in pages where they use it to block Brave. That means you will get blocked in many pages without it, even CNN español was blocking Brave and Adobe and Archive and so many, so it because they dislike Brave like Archive or they think Brave having a native adblocker deserves being blocked. What are you going to do about this by only using uBlock?

If you were developing a software, and a fork, and some user requested what you are requesting, would you listen to them? there are 900 Chromium alternatives and Firefox that can do what you want, no rewards, no adblocker, no VPN and no buttons to remember they exist. So again, why are you using Brave if you want ungoogled or throrium or well... Firefox? or Chrome or Vivaldi or anything else but Brave?

Edit: BTW, element picker has nothing to do with Adblocker, you can already disable it if you run Brave with --disable-brave-extension. It will disable WPD and the element picker

because. need a browse vertical tabs. edge too many feature, context menu length like IE. chrome vertical tabs, still exists top tab bar. firefox compatibility. just simple vertical tabs browse, so brave.

brave / brave-browser