Brave’s privacy-first approach and fast performance make it an appealing browser choice for attorneys and law firm staff. However, because Brave is built on the same Chromium engine as Google Chrome, it shares two compatibility challenges with NetDocuments — its own Shields blocking layer and a Chromium 142+ change that affects how documents open. Here’s how to fix both.
Step 1: Enable Apps on Device
If clicking a document in NetDocuments causes it to download to your desktop instead of opening in Word or Adobe Acrobat, this is an ndClick issue — not a Shields issue.
Starting with Chromium 142, browsers built on Chromium (including Brave) require Local Network Access to be enabled manually. ndClick needs to bind to a local port to open documents in desktop applications. When that access is blocked, documents download instead.
- In Brave, go to
Login to NetDocuments - Click on the box and turn on Apps on device
Step 2: Disable Shields for NetDocuments
If you’re experiencing login issues, missing features, or other unexpected behavior in NetDocuments, Brave Shields is likely the culprit.
- Log in to NetDocuments
- Click the Brave icon (the lion) in the address bar
- Turn off Shields for NetDocuments
With Shields disabled for the NetDocuments site, you’ll have full functionality while maintaining Brave’s protections everywhere else.
Step 3: Installing the Chrome Extension in Brave
The NetDocuments browser extension works in Chrome, Edge, and Brave. Once installed, it replaces the standard Windows file picker with the NetDocuments interface whenever you download or upload a document — so files go straight into NetDocuments instead of landing in your Downloads folder.
- Go to the NetDocuments extension page in the Chrome Web Store
- Click Add to Brave
3. Click Add Extension to confirm
Getting NetDocuments to work properly in Brave takes a few extra steps compared to Chrome or Edge, but once configured, it runs reliably. Disable Shields for the NetDocuments site, allow Local Network Access so ndClick can open documents in your desktop applications, and install the browser extension to keep files out of your Downloads folder. After that, Brave’s speed and privacy protections work in your favor without getting in the way.