Leo is Brave Browser's AI assistant, capable of performing or assisting with a variety of different tasks. Leo can create real-time summaries of webpages or videos, answer questions about content or generate new content, translate pages, write a poem or even just have a casual conversation with you.

As a privacy-first company, Brave is dedicated to releasing leading alternatives to popular Web tools that also protect user data and anonymity. Leo is no different:

• Brave-hosted models: All AI models, including Claude models, are hosted through Brave's own secure infrastructure, ensuring all user interactions remain within Brave's privacy-preserving environment.

• No logs, no chats in the cloud: Your conversations are not stored or logged by Brave after a response is generated. No personal data such as your IP address or conversation transcripts are retained. And your conversations are not used for model training purposes.

• Local chat history: Your chat history exists only on your device in your local storage. Chats can be removed from your device in Settings by selecting the option to "Clear Leo data". Chats can be temporary, meaning they aren't kept in your local storage, and chat history can be disabled entirely so conversations don't exist on your device or anywhere else after you close them.

• Optional features: Features like Tab Focus Mode require explicit opt-in before any data is processed.

• No login requirement: Users do not need to create a Brave account to use the free version of Leo.

• Unlinkable subscription: If you sign up for Leo Premium, you're issued unlinkable tokens that validate your subscription when using Leo. This means that Brave can never connect your purchase details with your usage of the product, an extra step that ensures your activity is private to you and only you. The email you used to create your account is unlinkable to your day-to-day use of Leo, making this a uniquely private credentialing experience.

You can learn more information about Leo's privacy practices here.

Leo combines this easy, free access to AI with the privacy focus of Brave. Chats with Leo are private, anonymous, and secure. Leo doesn’t record chats, or use them for model training, and no account or login is required to use Leo. 

What is Leo Premium?

The Brave Leo experience is free to all users. For those who’d like access to higher rate limits, however, Leo is also available as a Premium experience. Users can subscribe to Leo Premium for $14.99/month, and one subscription covers up to 5 different devices across Android, Linux, macOS, and Windows. Users log into their Brave account from their other devices with that subscription.

How do I use Brave Leo?

Leo is built directly into the browser — no extra apps or extensions are required to use it. The first time using the product you will be asked to opt-in. The product is not active or accessible and does not work or communicate any data until you confirm that you understand what you are opting into.

You can opt-into and access Leo by clicking the  "Ask Leo" in the address bar after typing a query (note that you can disable this option by going to Settings --> Appearance --> Leo AI Assistant):

Or by clicking the  icon in the sidebar:

Both options will open the Leo Chat dialog box in the Sidebar, where you can enter prompts for Leo to respond to, similar to other chat boxes. Simply type your prompt into the text box and hit `Enter` or click he `Send` button and Leo will respond to you:

Using Full Page Chat

You can access Leo's full page chat experience by:

1. Direct Access: Visit brave://leo-ai in your browser for a dedicated chat workspace
2. Address Bar: Type your question in the browser's address bar and select "Ask Leo" from the suggestions - this will open your query in the full page view
3. Sidebar: Start a conversation in the sidebar and click the "Expand" icon in the top-right corner to move your current conversation to the full page view

Brave Leo Settings

You can access and adjust Leo's general settings by going to Settings —> Leo or by clicking the "more options" (three dots) icon on the top-right of the Leo chat box:

Understanding Leo's AI Models and Capabilities

Leo offers flexible access to AI models to suit your needs. You can switch between available models at any time:

1. Click the model selection menu at the top of your chat
2. Choose your preferred model
3. Continue your conversation with the new model

The best model choice depends on your specific needs. Start with the default model for most tasks, and explore Premium or BYOM options if you need additional capabilities. For more detailed information on the AI models included with Leo by default, please see What are the differences between Leo's AI Models?

Free Tier

The free tier includes access to our default model, which is optimized for everyday tasks like:

• Answering questions and explaining concepts
• Summarizing web content
• Writing and editing assistance
• Translation and language help
• General conversation

Additional models are made available for manual selection via the 3-dot menu.

Premium Tier

Premium subscribers get access to more powerful models with:

• Enhanced reasoning capabilities
• More nuanced responses
• Better handling of complex tasks
• Higher rate limits

Bring Your Own Model (BYOM)

Want to use a specific AI model or service provider? Leo's BYOM feature lets you:

• Connect to your own local or remote models
• Use third-party APIs
• Maintain full control over your AI interactions

Read more about BYOM in our Guide: How do I use the Bring Your Own Model (BYOM) with Brave Leo?