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# How to use AI privately at Brave browser (2 methods)
- URL: https://aquasp.blog/how-to-use-ai-privately-at-brave-browser-2-methods/
- Published: 2025-12-08T23:15:59.000Z
- Updated: 2025-12-08T23:15:59.000Z
- Description: How to use AI privately with Brave browser (local or Cloud AI)
- Author: Aquasp
- Tags: Guides

---

# Introduction

Brave Browser 1.69 introduced a game-changing feature: you can now connect **Leo** (Brave’s built-in AI assistant) to **any** model you want — including fully local models or third-party APIs.  
This means you get an always-available AI sidebar with zero subscription and total control over privacy and cost.

Here are the two best methods I’ve tested (one ultra-private, one smarter but cloud-based).

# Method 1 – Maximum Privacy: Run a Local Model with Ollama (No GPU Needed)

You can run a surprisingly capable model completely offline, even on very modest hardware.  
The current sweet spot is **Google’s Gemma 2 2B** — it’s tiny (\~1.4 GB), runs great on CPU, and works perfectly even with just 4–6 GB of RAM free.

### Step 1: Install Ollama

Download and install Ollama from the official site: [https://ollama.com](https://ollama.com/?ref=aquasp.blog)  
(It has native packages for Windows, macOS, and Linux.)

### Step 2: Download Gemma 2 2B

Open a terminal and run:

```bash
ollama pull gemma2:2b
```

 (If you use Docker: docker exec -it ollama ollama pull gemma2:2b)

### Step 3: Verify it’s running

Open [http://localhost:11434](http://localhost:11434/?ref=aquasp.blog) in your browser.  
You should see “Ollama is running” — that’s all you need.

### Step 4: Add the model to Brave Leo

1. Open Brave → Settings → Leo
2. Click **Add new model**
3. Fill in the details exactly like this:
- **Label** → anything you want (e.g., “Gemma 2 2B Local”)
- **Model Request Name** → gemma2:2b
- **Server Endpoint** → http://localhost:11434/v1/chat/completions
- **API Key** → leave empty
1. (Optional but recommended) Set this model as your **default** for new chats.

Done! You now have a fully private, offline AI inside Brave that uses almost no resources.

# Method 2 – Smarter Answers (Cloud): Use CryptoTalks.ai (Pay-as-you-go, No Subscription)

If you want access to the absolute best models (GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Gemini 1.5 Flash, Llama 3.1 405B, etc.) without creating accounts at OpenAI/Anthropic/Google, CryptoTalks.ai is currently the best option.  
You pay only for what you use and can fund the account with Bitcoin or Lightning.

### Step 1: Create an account & get your token

Go to [https://cryptotalks.ai/signup](https://cryptotalks.ai/signup?ref=aquasp.blog) → sign up → copy your API token (keep it safe!).

### Step 2: Add a tiny amount of credit

Deposit any amount via Bitcoin or Lightning. Even $1–2 lasts a very long time for personal use.

### Step 3: Add the model(s) to Brave Leo

Same process as before, just different values:

- **Label** → e.g., “Claude 3.5 Sonnet”, “GPT-4o”, etc.
- **Model Request Name** → exact model ID from their docs, examples:
  - openai/chatgpt-4o-latest
  - anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet
  - google/gemini-flash-1.5
  - meta-llama/llama-3.1-405b-instruct
- **Server Endpoint** → https://cryptotalks.ai/v1/chat/completions/
- **API Key** → paste your token

You can add as many models as you want and switch between them instantly in the Leo sidebar.

Pro tip: Check current model rankings at [https://artificialanalysis.ai/models](https://artificialanalysis.ai/models?ref=aquasp.blog) to pick the best one for your needs.

# Real-World Use

With Leo + your own model you can:

- Summarize long articles or YouTube videos in one click
- Explain complex code snippets
- Draft emails or messages
- Translate on the fly
- All without ever leaving the browser and without sending data to big tech

When I’m on battery and want zero extra power draw → I switch to the local Gemma 2 2B.  
When I need maximum intelligence → I switch to Claude 3.5 Sonnet or GPT-4o via CryptoTalks.

# Conclusion

Brave just turned every browser into a private, customizable AI workstation.  
Pick Method 1 for 100% privacy and zero cost, or Method 2 when you want the absolute best answers available today.

Either way — welcome to the future of browsing.

If this guide helped you, feel free to share it or subscribe to **The Self Hosting Art**. Thanks for reading! 😊