Is Google the default search engine for Brave?

In most regions where users would bounce off a different default and manually override it to Google (thus denying us an ethical defaulting opportunity), yes. Mozilla found out the hard way in 2014 December when they reset default from Google to Yahoo! in the USA, and most Firefox users Whisky Tango Foxtrotted back to manual Google setting. (Verizon and Mozilla bailed on that deal and Mozilla is back with Google.)

The good news is that we are partnered with DuckDuckGo already on private tabs, and as a promoted alternative engine -- and now we are switching default search in key European countries to DDG. We feel DDG's quality has risen enough, and certain countries are privacy-focused enough, that we won't lose too many users via default search override setting back to Google.

That's really cool to hear your defaulting (in some countries) to something other then Google and DDG even better! Just downloaded Brave.

Thanks for Firefox! It along with Google at the time (2003) inspired me to try my hand at being a maker.

There are things you don’t have to try to know you don’t want it. Like poop, for instance.

I already have an uncomfortable detente with notifications on my devices. Upsetting that delicate balance is so obviously a bad idea that I don’t need to try it to tell you “no, not even a little”

That's cool -- are you willing to fund your own tokens to tip and give back regularly? Just asking, not required either. The baseline mode for Brave is shielded (so fast/private/battery-saving/dataplan-friendly) browsing.