--- title: "How to restore lost bookmarks in Brave | VaultForYou" description: "Lost bookmarks in Brave? First check the bar and the manager, then bring them back from sync, the Bookmarks.bak file or an HTML export. Step by step." url: https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/restore-bookmarks/brave lang: en published: 2026-11-03 updated: 2026-11-03 author: "VaultForYou Editorial Team" publisher: VaultForYou --- # How to restore lost bookmarks in Brave > Most "lost" bookmarks are hidden; the rest come back from sync, the .bak file or an export. Published 2026-11-03 - Updated 2026-11-03 - By VaultForYou Editorial Team - Checked against each browser's help pages, November 2026 ## Quick answer Check first that they are only hidden: press Ctrl+Shift+B (⌘+Shift+B on a Mac) for the bookmarks bar and open `brave://bookmarks` and search. If they are really gone, turn sync back on with a Brave Sync chain (no account; devices join with a code or QR), rename Bookmarks.bak to Bookmarks in the profile folder, or import your last HTML export. - **Check first:** `brave://bookmarks` and Ctrl+Shift+B (⌘+Shift+B on a Mac) - **From sync:** Settings -> Sync -> Start a new Sync chain, then tick Bookmarks - **From the .bak file:** Rename Bookmarks.bak to Bookmarks while the browser is closed ## Restore bookmarks in Brave 1. **Look in the manager** Open `brave://bookmarks` and search by name. Check every folder, including Other bookmarks. 2. **Show the bar** Press Ctrl+Shift+B (⌘+Shift+B on a Mac). A hidden bar looks like lost bookmarks. 3. **Check the profile** Click the profile picture at the top right: another profile has its own bookmarks. 4. **Turn sync on** Settings -> Sync -> Start a new Sync chain, then tick Bookmarks. The account's copy downloads within a few minutes. 5. **Use Bookmarks.bak** Close Brave, open `%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Bookmarks` (Windows) or `~/Library/Application Support/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser/Default/Bookmarks` (Mac), rename Bookmarks.bak to Bookmarks, reopen Brave. 6. **Import an export** Bookmark manager -> ⋮ -> Import bookmarks, or ☰ -> Bookmarks and lists -> Import bookmarks and settings, and choose the last .html file you saved. Menu labels change between versions of Brave; the shortcut and the internal address `brave://bookmarks` don't. ## The three ways back - **Sync.** If bookmarks sync through a Brave Sync chain (no account; devices join with a code or QR), sign in on this device and turn bookmarks sync on (Settings -> Sync -> Start a new Sync chain, then tick Bookmarks); the account copy comes back. - **Bookmarks.bak.** Close Brave. In `%LOCALAPPDATA%\BraveSoftware\Brave-Browser\User Data\Default\Bookmarks` (Windows) or `~/Library/Application Support/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser/Default/Bookmarks` (Mac), rename Bookmarks to Bookmarks.old and Bookmarks.bak to Bookmarks, then start Brave. This restores the list as it was when Brave last started. - **An export.** Import your last HTML export from Bookmark manager -> ⋮ -> Import bookmarks, or ☰ -> Bookmarks and lists -> Import bookmarks and settings. ## Why they disappeared The usual causes: the bar was hidden with the shortcut, a different profile or account was active, sync was turned off and bookmarks removed from this device, a deletion synced in from another device, or the profile was reset. Brave doesn't delete bookmarks on its own. ## Keep some bookmarks out of Brave altogether Private Bookmarks has its own encrypted backup, independent of Brave's profile and sync, so a browser reset doesn't take the vault with it. [Private Bookmarks](/private-bookmarks) is our free extension that saves pages into an encrypted vault on this computer: AES-256-GCM, a key derived from your password, no account, no sync and no network access. Saved pages never appear in the bookmarks bar, in `brave://bookmarks` or in a Brave Sync chain (no account; devices join with a code or QR), and the vault locks itself after a few minutes. > **Add Private Bookmarks to Brave.** Free. Installs from the Chrome Web Store. [Add to Chrome](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/private-bookmarks-by-vaul/laonjbpehlabehhllohfaffbcpholdho) ## Frequently asked questions ### My bookmarks bar disappeared. Are the bookmarks gone? Usually not. Press Ctrl+Shift+B (⌘+Shift+B on a Mac); the bar was hidden. The bookmarks are still in `brave://bookmarks`. ### How long does Bookmarks.bak last? It is rewritten each time Brave starts, from the current Bookmarks file. Close Brave as soon as you notice the loss and copy the .bak file before reopening. ### Can Brave Software restore my bookmarks? Only what sync holds. A Brave Sync chain (no account; devices join with a code or QR) keeps the current list, not old versions, so a deletion that synced is gone from the account too. ### Will I lose private bookmarks too? Private Bookmarks' vault is stored separately from Brave's profile and never synced. Removing the extension deletes it, so export its encrypted backup from the extension's Settings and keep that file. ## Sources - [Brave Help Center: How do I import bookmarks and settings?](https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/360019782291) - [Brave Help Center: How do I set up Sync?](https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/360021218111) - [Brave Help Center: Keyboard shortcuts](https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/360057714351) ## Restore lost bookmarks in other browsers - [How to restore lost bookmarks in Google Chrome](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/restore-bookmarks/chrome) - [How to restore lost favorites in Microsoft Edge](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/restore-bookmarks/edge) - [How to restore lost bookmarks in Chrome on a Chromebook](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/restore-bookmarks/chromebook) - [How to restore lost bookmarks in Opera](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/restore-bookmarks/opera) - [How to restore lost bookmarks in Vivaldi](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/restore-bookmarks/vivaldi) - [How to restore lost bookmarks in Chrome on Android](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/restore-bookmarks/chrome-android) - [How to restore lost bookmarks in Chrome on iPhone and iPad](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/restore-bookmarks/chrome-iphone) - [All browsers: restore lost bookmarks](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/restore-bookmarks) ## More for Brave - [How to show the bookmarks bar in Brave](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/show-bookmarks-bar/brave) - [How to bookmark a page in Brave](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/add-bookmark/brave) - [How to delete bookmarks in Brave](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/delete-bookmarks/brave) - [How to export bookmarks in Brave](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/export-bookmarks/brave) - [How to import bookmarks in Brave](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/import-bookmarks/brave) - [How to find where bookmarks are stored in Brave](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/where-bookmarks-are-stored/brave) - [How to organize bookmarks in Brave](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/organize-bookmarks/brave) - [How to edit bookmarks in Brave](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/edit-bookmarks/brave) --- Private Bookmarks by VaultForYou is a Chrome extension made by VaultForYou. Add to Chrome: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/private-bookmarks-by-vaul/laonjbpehlabehhllohfaffbcpholdho