By default, Brave Browser automatically upgrades HTTP connections to HTTPS whenever possible, but falls back to HTTP if HTTPS is not available. For more information on how Brave upgrades HTTP connections, see our article "How do I use Shields while browsing?".

For users that want extra protection, Brave offers Strict HTTPS Upgrade mode. When Strict mode is enabled, Brave prevents all insecure connections to websites. If you click on a link to a website that does not support HTTPS, Brave will show you a warning page:

You can choose either to go back to the previous page, or to proceed to connect to the insecure website.

To enable Strict HTTPS Upgrade mode, click on the main menu ( ), choose Settings -- Shields and set Upgrade Connections to HTTPS to Strict:

Strict HTTPS Upgrades for Tor

In Private Windows with Tor, Brave Browser always uses Strict HTTPS Upgrade mode to ensure that no insecure connections are made over Tor without your explicit permission.

In general, it’s safer to only connect to websites that support secure connections, using HTTPS or the onion protocol (domains ending in .onion). If you do find it’s necessary to browse to a website with an insecure connection using Tor, be careful not to enter any private information that could be collected by Tor exit relays.