Search engine list (added and packaged) "disappearing" for some users

[Brave-Matt]

Description

Several users have reported that after updating the browser to v1.75.175 (and higher), the browser seems to have erased any search engines added to the browser, leaving only the default search engine.

Some users report that profiles that have Clear data on exit options enabled see this behavior occur, despite there not being any data type in the Clear data on exit window that would do this. However, this is inconsistent, as other users appear to have encountered this while not having any data set to be cleared on exit.

cc @rebron @mkarolin
Internal Slack Convo:
https://bravesoftware.slack.com/archives/C02DT9F5EP5/p1740093092941849

Steps to reproduce

N/A

Actual result

Search engines disappear after update and/or after clearing data when the browser is closed.

Expected result

Search engines should always persist.

Reproduces how often

Easily reproduced

Brave version (brave://version info)

v1.75.175 and higher

Channel information

• release (stable)
• beta
• nightly

Reproducibility

• with Brave Shields disabled
• with Brave Rewards disabled
• in the latest version of Chrome

Miscellaneous information

User reports:
https://community.brave.com/t/no-choice-in-search-engine-offered/599041
https://community.brave.com/t/all-search-engines-are-suddenly-gone-except-the-default-one/598826/3
https://community.brave.com/t/all-my-search-engines-are-gone/599112/3
https://community.brave.com/t/how-to-i-make-google-my-default-search-engine-v2/598700/4

[danmondra]

+1

[mkarolin]

Haven't been able to reproduce this thus far.

[radoslawgronski]

+1

[yikesboy]

+1

[Ayushft]

Facing the same issue on Linux Mint.

Brave version : [v 1.75.181]