Fix: Brave Browser Showing "--enable-unsafe-webgpu" Error on Mac

Encountering the "--enable-unsafe-webgpu" error message when launching Brave browser can be frustrating, especially when it impacts website functionality. This article provides a clear guide to understanding and resolving this issue on your Mac.

Understanding the "--enable-unsafe-webgpu" Flag in Brave

The "--enable-unsafe-webgpu" flag relates to WebGPU, a new web standard for accessing GPU hardware. While it can enhance performance, using it unsafely can lead to instability and security vulnerabilities. Seeing this message indicates Brave is running with this flag, potentially causing issues. But why are you seeing it, and how do you remove it?

• What is WebGPU? WebGPU is a next-generation graphics API that exposes modern GPU capabilities to the web.
• Why "unsafe?" The "unsafe" version might include experimental or less-tested features, increasing the risk of instability.
• Impact on Browsing: You might experience rendering issues, crashes, or compatibility problems on websites using advanced graphics.

Troubleshooting the Error: How to Remove the Flag

Since you're not manually setting this flag via the command line, there are a few potential causes and solutions:

1. Check Brave's Internal Flags

It's possible an experimental flag was enabled unintentionally. Here's how to check:

1. Open Brave: Launch your Brave browser.
2. Navigate to Brave Flags: In the address bar, type brave://flags and press Enter.
3. Search for WebGPU: Use the search bar to find "WebGPU."
4. Reset to Default: If you find any WebGPU-related flags enabled, set them to "Default" or "Disabled."
5. Restart Brave: Click the "Relaunch" button at the bottom to apply the changes.

2. Investigate Application Launch Parameters

Sometimes, applications can be launched with specific parameters set externally.

• Check System-Wide Environment Variables: Although less likely, ensure no global environment variables are forcing the flag.
• Examine Desktop Shortcuts/Launchers: Right-click on the Brave icon or launcher and check its properties for any command-line arguments. Remove any instances of --enable-unsafe-webgpu.

3. Reinstall Brave Browser

A clean reinstall can often resolve unexpected issues.

1. Uninstall Brave: Completely uninstall Brave from your Mac. This usually involves dragging the application to the Trash and emptying it.
2. Remove Residual Files (Important!): Open Finder, press Cmd+Shift+G, and enter the following paths one by one, deleting any Brave-related folders:
   • ~/Library/Application Support/BraveSoftware
   • /Library/Application Support/BraveSoftware
   • ~/Library/Caches/BraveSoftware
   • ~/Library/Preferences/com.brave.Browser.plist
3. Download and Reinstall: Download the latest version of Brave from the official website and reinstall it.

4. Create a New Brave Profile

A corrupted user profile can lead to strange behavior.

1. Open Brave: Launch your Brave browser.
2. Access Profile Settings: Go to brave://settings/profiles
3. Add a New Profile: Create a new profile and switch to it.
4. Test: See if the error persists in the new profile. If not, your old profile may be corrupt.

Verifying the Fix

After trying the solutions above, restart Brave and check if the error message is gone. Also, revisit the websites that were previously showing issues (like STL viewers on Thingiverse) to ensure they are now working correctly. By systematically addressing potential causes, you can eliminate the "--enable-unsafe-webgpu" error and restore Brave's performance and stability.