You just had fresh pads or rotors installed and the brakes feel... off. Maybe grabby, maybe soft, maybe a little noisy. Before you worry, know that new brakes almost always feel different at first, and most of it is normal break-in. Here is what to expect.
They need to bed in
Fresh pads and rotors have not yet built up the even transfer layer of pad material that gives smooth, consistent braking - see how to bed in brake pads. Until they do, the bite can feel uneven, grabby, or weak. Proper bedding - a series of moderate stops from speed - lays that layer down and settles the feel, usually within the first 100 to 300 miles.
Different pad material, different feel
If you switched pad types - say from semi-metallic to ceramic - the pedal feel and initial bite genuinely change; see do ceramic pads stop better. Ceramics often feel a touch softer at first but quieter, while semi-metallics bite harder cold. Neither is wrong; it is the new material's character, and your foot recalibrates within a week or two.
Early noise is common
A little squeak or scrape in the first few days is normal as surfaces mate and any manufacturing film wears off - see brake noise after new pads. Persistent loud squealing after break-in, though, points to missing shims or hardware, or a glaze from skipped bedding.
When different means a problem
Normal: a settling-in period of slightly odd feel and light noise that improves. Not normal: a pedal that sinks to the floor, pulls hard to one side, or grinding - those mean go back and inspect. Quality pads installed with fresh hardware and proper bedding give the best, quickest-settling feel.