Brave is considering a standalone 'Origin' app for Android and a black icon option

The Brave development team is deciding whether to build a standalone Android app for Brave Origin. A team member confirmed they are weighing the idea and actively looking for user feedback on the official announcement thread.

Right now, Origin exists on Android solely as a paid upgrade hidden inside the standard Brave browser. You pay the $59.99 fee and then flip switches to hide features like Leo AI, Brave Rewards, and the VPN. Desktop users get the choice of downloading a completely separate Origin browser or using the upgrade method. Mobile users currently lack that choice.

But it looks like a group of Android users is pushing for a standalone app. So we’ll have to wait and see if the Brave team decides to go ahead with the idea or if there’s just not enough demand to justify the effort.

Another popular request from the community involves the app icon itself. Users want the option to swap the standard orange lion logo for Origin’s sleek black icon on their home screens.

A Brave support representative replied to a feature request about this specific cosmetic change. They confirmed the idea was passed along to the development team.

I don’t exactly think Brave Origin needs a separate Android app. Origin isn’t a purchase that adds a ton of crazy new features to your phone. It basically just removes extra bloat so the browser runs a bit cleaner. Building and maintaining an entirely separate app just to offer a stripped-down experience feels like a waste of resources. The current toggle system inside the main app does the job perfectly well.

I must, however, admit that options are always good at the end of the day. If the community really wants a dedicated app, it will probably happen. Brave is currently seeing record growth in its user base. They are clearly listening to what people want and are willing to pay for.

For instance, the team is now also working on a new feature called Compact mode to reclaim more screen space. Pair this with Origin, and it would make users who want a minimal and clean browser very happy.

That said, Origin also works well with the normal Brave browser. It uses the standard QR code method to sync bookmarks and history across devices. The developers mentioned they are working on account-based syncing for the future.

While a standalone app might take a while to come to fruition, it’s possible that the team will at least add the new black icon to the main Android app as an option in the coming days.

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