--- title: "How to show the bookmarks bar in Brave (Ctrl+Shift+B) | VaultForYou" description: "Press Ctrl+Shift+B (⌘+Shift+B on a Mac) to show or hide the bookmarks bar in Brave. The same keys hide it again." url: https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/show-bookmarks-bar/brave lang: en published: 2026-11-03 updated: 2026-11-03 author: "VaultForYou Editorial Team" publisher: VaultForYou --- # How to show the bookmarks bar in Brave > One shortcut, or a switch in the appearance settings. Published 2026-11-03 - Updated 2026-11-03 - By VaultForYou Editorial Team - Checked against each browser's help pages, November 2026 ## Quick answer Press Ctrl+Shift+B (⌘+Shift+B on a Mac) to show or hide the bookmarks bar in Brave. The same keys hide it again. To make it permanent, use Settings -> Appearance -> Show bookmarks -> Always, Never, or Only on the new tab page. - **Shortcut:** Ctrl+Shift+B (⌘+Shift+B on a Mac) - **Menu:** ☰ -> Bookmarks and lists -> Show bookmarks bar - **Settings:** Settings -> Appearance -> Show bookmarks -> Always, Never, or Only on the new tab page ## Show the bookmarks bar 1. **Press Ctrl+Shift+B (⌘+Shift+B on a Mac)** With Brave in front, press Ctrl+Shift+B (⌘+Shift+B on a Mac). The bookmarks bar appears under the address bar; the same keys hide it. 2. **Or use the menu** Open the hamburger menu (☰) and go to ☰ -> Bookmarks and lists -> Show bookmarks bar. 3. **Make it stick** In Settings -> Appearance -> Show bookmarks -> Always, Never, or Only on the new tab page, choose the option that keeps the bar on every page rather than only on new tabs. 4. **Fill the bar** Bookmarks in the "Bookmarks bar" folder are the ones that show. Drag others into that folder in `brave://bookmarks`. Menu labels change between versions of Brave; the shortcut and the internal address `brave://bookmarks` don't. ## The bar still isn't there - **Only on new tabs.** The setting has three states; pick Always. - **Wrong folder.** The bar shows one folder. Open `brave://bookmarks` and move bookmarks into the Bookmarks bar folder. - **Full screen.** The bar hides in full-screen mode (F11, or the green button on a Mac). Leave full screen and it returns. - **Managed by an organization.** On a work or school computer, a policy can force the bar on or off; the setting is greyed out and only an administrator can change it. ## Keep some bookmarks out of Brave altogether The bookmarks bar is the least private place in the browser: anyone who can see the screen can read 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 ### What is the shortcut to show the bookmarks bar in Brave? Ctrl+Shift+B (⌘+Shift+B on a Mac). It toggles, so pressing it again hides the bar. ### Can I show the bookmarks bar only on the new tab page? Yes. Settings -> Appearance -> Show bookmarks -> Always, Never, or Only on the new tab page: choose Only on new tabs. ### Why can't I see the bookmarks I added? Only the Bookmarks bar folder shows on the bar. Bookmarks saved to Other bookmarks or another folder live in the manager (`brave://bookmarks`). Move them to the bar folder, or save new ones there. ### Does hiding the bar hide my bookmarks? No. They stay in the manager and on the star menu, and sync keeps copying them. Hiding the bar is for screen space; to keep bookmarks private you need a separate profile or an encrypted vault. ## 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) ## Show the bookmarks bar in other browsers - [How to show the favorites bar in Microsoft Edge](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/show-bookmarks-bar/edge) - [How to show the bookmarks bar in Chrome on a Chromebook](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/show-bookmarks-bar/chromebook) - [How to show the bookmarks bar in Opera](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/show-bookmarks-bar/opera) - [How to show the bookmark bar in Vivaldi](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/show-bookmarks-bar/vivaldi) - [How to show the bookmarks bar in Chrome](https://www.vaultforyou.app/blog/show-bookmarks-bar-chrome) - [All browsers: show the bookmarks bar](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/show-bookmarks-bar) ## More for 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 restore lost bookmarks in Brave](https://www.vaultforyou.app/bookmarks/restore-bookmarks/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