How to Use Brave Leo in 2026: Step-by-Step Guide
Brave browser's built-in AI assistant with a privacy-first approach — no tracking, no data collection, and conversations deleted after each session.
Brave Leo is the AI assistant built into the Brave browser, designed from the ground up for privacy. Unlike AI tools that require accounts and store conversation history, Leo processes queries locally or via anonymous proxies, with no data tied to user accounts or sold to advertisers. The free tier runs on Mixtral 8x7B, while the Leo AI Pro subscription (4.99/month or 4.99/month) provides access to Claude Sonnet, Llama 3.1 405B, and other top-tier models. Leo can summarize web pages, answer questions about current content, write and rewrite text, and assist with coding tasks. It integrates into the Brave sidebar and is accessible on both desktop and mobile. For users who want AI assistance without the privacy trade-offs of cloud-logged conversations, Leo fills a genuine niche. The lack of persistent memory is by design: each session starts fresh.
What You'll Need
- A Brave Leo account (free to create)
- A modern web browser or the Brave Leo app
- Payment method for paid features
Getting Started
Create Your Account
Visit https://brave.com/leo/ and sign up for a freemium account. You'll need an email address to register. A free tier is available — you can upgrade later for more features.
Start Your First Conversation
Once logged in, you'll see the main chat interface. Type a question or task in the input box and press Enter. Brave Leo supports webpage summarization, Q&A, writing assistance, code help, private mode, multi-model, no data collection — start with a simple text prompt to get familiar.
Pro Tips
- Be specific: The more context you provide, the better the response. Instead of "write an email," try "write a professional follow-up email to a client who hasn't responded in two weeks."
- Iterate: If you don't get what you need, ask for clarification or refinement: "Make it shorter" or "Use a more formal tone."
- Use examples: Show Brave Leo what format you want by including an example in your prompt.
- Save useful conversations: Most platforms let you name and revisit conversations — organize by project or topic.
Common Use Cases
General Assistant
All-purpose AI assistants for everyday questions, tasks, and conversations.
Browse General Assistant chatbots →Productivity
AI tools for task management, scheduling, summarization, and workflow optimization.
Browse Productivity chatbots →Research & Analysis
Chatbots that help with data analysis, literature review, and in-depth research tasks.
Browse Research & Analysis chatbots →Troubleshooting
- Responses seem generic or unhelpful
- Add more context to your prompt. Specify the audience, tone, length, and format you need. Try starting over with a clearer description of your goal.
- The tool isn't responding or is slow
- AI chatbots can experience high traffic. Refresh the page and try again. Check the service's status page if issues persist.
- Output is too long or too short
- Explicitly specify the length: "in 100 words," "as a brief summary," or "in detail with examples."
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Brave Leo free to use?
- Brave Leo has a free tier. Paid plans start from 14.99.
- Do I need an account to use Brave Leo?
- Yes, you need to create an account to use Brave Leo.
- What can I use Brave Leo for?
- Brave browser's built-in AI assistant with a privacy-first approach — no tracking, no data collection, and conversations deleted after each session.
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