Arc (web browser)

File:Archie-TheBrowserCompany.jpg

Arc is designed to be an "operating system for the web", and integrates standard browsing with Arc's own applications through the use of a sidebar. The browser is designed to be customisable and allows users to cosmetically change how they see specific websites.{{Cite web |last=Pierce |first=David |date=17 November 2022 |title=The Arc browser is the Chrome replacement I've been waiting for |url=https://www.theverge.com/23462235/arc-web-browser-review |website=The Verge |access-date=16 June 2023 |archive-date=21 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230621233437/https://www.theverge.com/23462235/arc-web-browser-review |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Wong |first=Raymond |date=22 December 2022 |title=Arc is the best web browser to come out in the last decade |url=https://www.inverse.com/gear/arc-web-browser-the-browser-company-josh-miller |website=Inverse |access-date=16 June 2023 |archive-date=16 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616212722/https://www.inverse.com/gear/arc-web-browser-the-browser-company-josh-miller |url-status=live }}

Arc lets the user pick the color they want it to appear in (either a static color or a color gradient) during installation. Speaking with Input magazine, Karla Cole (one of Arc's designers) stated that it's because the design team "wanted to play with the feeling you get as a movie opens".

Arc uses a sidebar to store all parts of the browser—including the search bar, tab list and bookmarks—aside from the viewing window. The sidebar also contains controls for audio playback, which can be accessed while not using the tab playing the audio. This functionality also works with video call software, such as Google Meet.{{Cite web |last=Moore-Colyer |first=Roland |date=18 November 2022 |title=The Arc browser is here to replace Chrome — and cure your tab chaos |url=https://www.tomsguide.com/news/the-arc-browser-is-here-to-replace-chrome-and-cure-your-tab-chaos |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616212723/https://www.tomsguide.com/news/the-arc-browser-is-here-to-replace-chrome-and-cure-your-tab-chaos |archive-date=16 June 2023 |access-date=16 June 2023 |website=Tom's Guide}}

The search bar present in Arc, called Command Bar is similar in functionality and design to Apple's Spotlight feature. It can be used to search for websites and URLs as normal, as well as being able to pin tabs, duplicate tabs and access browser history. Arc includes an optional built-in ad blocker (uBlock Origin), and The Browser Company claims it does not share user's search data.{{Cite web |title=Privacy Policy |url=https://arc.net/ |access-date=2024-01-21 |website=arc.net |language=en}}

Tabs in Arc can be put into "spaces", organised tabs with separate areas that can be given different themes and browser profiles. Tabs in spaces can be put in a split-screen view with up to four tabs per window.{{Cite news |date=28 March 2023 |title=Meet Arc, a new innovative browser that challenges Chrome |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/arc-browser-everything-to-know-8523614/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616212720/https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/arc-browser-everything-to-know-8523614/ |archive-date=16 June 2023 |access-date=16 June 2023 |work=Indian Express}} Tabs can also be pinned, which puts them in a labelled area in the sidebar. Unpinned tabs disappear after a period of time (which can be changed in settings) but can be retrieved in Arc's "archived tabs" section. Tabs can also be renamed.

Arc includes several built-in applications, including an "easel" function, which can be used to collect webpage screenshots and URLs. The easel includes tools for typing and drawing. Easels can be kept private, shared with other people for collaboration or posted online. There was previously also a notebook function, which could be accessed from the search bar.{{Cite web |last=lilarepaa |date=2024-03-15 |title=getting rid of notes 💔 |url=http://www.reddit.com/r/ArcBrowser/comments/1bf35qn/getting_rid_of_notes/ |access-date=2024-04-05 |website=r/ArcBrowser}} Aside from built-in applications, Arc also has integrations with other web applications, like Gmail and Google Calendar.{{Sfn|Carr|2022|p=60}}

Arc lets users customise how they see websites using its "boosts" feature. Originally added in July 2022,{{Cite web |last=Mehta |first=Ivan |date=25 May 2023 |title=Arc browser's new tool lets you remove some elements from a website |url=https://techcrunch.com/2023/05/25/arc-browsers-new-tool-lets-you-remove-some-elements-from-a-website/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAADsJgnGYjQpZOxvbEjlNb9qDOT5Ays20hntNCXDzn8ruHrEIwy92k_kkJ0E5L74SfHYhk9McV-DbiKhIsMlqoc-HXThScS9mZGS5STTO2_1kpIzuqFEmgEPAs4zhSRb2wgxDA_CRxzlJ5W-gjKMyzG35G50HP8wCvQIfiTErR5BM |website=TechCrunch |access-date=16 June 2023 |archive-date=16 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616212720/https://techcrunch.com/2023/05/25/arc-browsers-new-tool-lets-you-remove-some-elements-from-a-website/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAADsJgnGYjQpZOxvbEjlNb9qDOT5Ays20hntNCXDzn8ruHrEIwy92k_kkJ0E5L74SfHYhk9McV-DbiKhIsMlqoc-HXThScS9mZGS5STTO2_1kpIzuqFEmgEPAs4zhSRb2wgxDA_CRxzlJ5W-gjKMyzG35G50HP8wCvQIfiTErR5BM |url-status=live }} boosts act similarly to browser extensions, but allow the user to fully customise their experience using CSS, HTML and JavaScript. A 2.0 update to boosts in 2023 added a simplified interface that allows the user to change website colors, change fonts and remove sections using the "zap" control. Boosts can be shared for use by other users as long as they do not use JavaScript, for security reasons. The Browser Company maintains a gallery of boosts they choose to display.{{Cite web |last=Ingraham |first=Nathan |date=25 May 2023 |title=The Arc internet browser lets you customize (or vandalize) any website |url=https://www.engadget.com/the-arc-internet-browser-lets-you-customize-or-vandalize-any-website-130010555.html |website=Engadget |access-date=16 June 2023 |archive-date=16 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616212721/https://www.engadget.com/the-arc-internet-browser-lets-you-customize-or-vandalize-any-website-130010555.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Pierce |first=David |date=25 May 2023 |title=Arc's new Boosts feature lets you change the way any website looks |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/25/23735693/arc-browser-boosts-website-appearance-colors-features |website=The Verge |access-date=16 June 2023 |archive-date=16 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616212722/https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/25/23735693/arc-browser-boosts-website-appearance-colors-features |url-status=live }} Engadget described this feature as allowing users to "vandalise" websites.

Arc's "Air Traffic Control" feature lets users select which space a specific link will be opened at.{{Cite web |title=Air Traffic Control: Route Links to the Right Space Automatically {{!}} Arc Resources |url=https://resources.arc.net/en/articles/7670020-air-traffic-control-route-links-to-the-right-space-automatically |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=resources.arc.net |language=en}} Users can create what's called a "route" that defines which space the link will be opened when the link is opened from an external source. The "Air Traffic Control" feature can be accessed and modified from the Arc settings → Links → Air Traffic Control.

In February 2024, The Browser Company announced the addition of three AI powered features. The first feature, "Instant Links", which was launched that same day, allowed users to instantly open multiple links by searching for the user's search query with AI, rather than having to go through a search engine to get to the pages.{{Cite web |last=Ingraham |first=Nathan |date=1 February 2024 |title=The Arc Browser is getting new AI-powered features that try to browse the web for you |url=https://www.engadget.com/the-arc-browser-is-getting-new-ai-powered-features-that-try-to-browse-the-web-for-you-211739679.html |access-date=25 February 2024 |website=Engadget |language=en}} The two other announced features, "Live Folders" and "Arc Explore" were not launched initially, with the former being released in April 2024, while the latter has no specified release date.{{Cite web |last=Serrano |first=Jody |date=2 February 2024 |title=Arc's New AI Browser Features Are an Act of War Against Google Search |url=https://gizmodo.com/arc-ai-browser-google-search-new-features-instant-links-1851219967 |access-date=25 February 2024 |website=Gizmodo |language=en}}{{cite web |last1=Mehta |first1=Ivan |title=Arc browser launches Live Folders to auto-update tabs for you |url=https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/11/arc-browsers-live-folders-will-auto-update-tabs-for-you/ |website=TechCrunch |access-date=11 April 2024 |date=11 April 2024}}

The announcement also mentioned Arc Search, a new iOS app released four days prior. The app was originally pitched as a "doorman for the Web," automatically opening a search box. The app featured a "Browse for Me" feature that would use AI to read webpages related to the user's query to create a new webpage containing quotes, summaries, and embedded videos regarding the query. The app also shipped with a built in ad-blocker, which contains "always-on blocking of ads, trackers, GDPR popups, and banners."{{Cite web |last=Pierce |first=David |date=2024-01-29 |title=Arc Search combines browser, search engine, and AI into something new and different |url=https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/28/24053882/arc-search-browser-web-app-ios |access-date=2024-01-29 |website=The Verge |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2024-04-18 |title=Arc Search — Find it, Faster |url=https://apps.apple.com/us/app/arc-search-find-it-faster/id6472513080 |access-date=2024-04-19 |website=App Store |language=en-US}} Since then, additional features have been added to Arc Search, such as "Pinch to Summarise," where Arc Search can summarise webpages. In May 2024 a feature named "Call Arc" was launched, allowing users to have a spoken conversation with an AI, mimicking a phone call.{{Cite web |last=Malik |first=Aisha |date=2024-05-23 |title=Arc Search's new Call Arc feature lets you ask questions by 'making a phone call' |url=https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/arc-searchs-new-call-arc-feature-lets-you-ask-questions-by-making-a-phone-call/ |access-date=2024-09-02 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}} The assistant answers the user's queries using search results from the web.

In September 2024, a security researcher discovered a "catastrophic" vulnerability that would enable attackers to execute arbitrary code into any other users' browsing session with just a user ID.{{cite news |last1=Edwards |first1=Nathan |title=Researcher reveals 'catastrophic' security flaw in the Arc browser |url=https://www.theverge.com/2024/9/20/24249919/arc-browser-boost-firebase-vulnerability-patched |access-date=29 September 2024 |publisher=The Verge |date=20 September 2024 |language=en}} This exploit has since been patched.{{cite news |last1=Burkhardt |first1=Michael |title=This browser had a 'serious' security vulnerability, here's how they're fixing it |url=https://9to5mac.com/2024/09/28/arc-browser-vulnerability/ |publisher=9to5Mac |date=28 September 2024}}

Arc is available for macOS as a universal binary, Windows 11 (built in Swift,{{Cite web |last=Callaham |first=John |date=19 May 2023 |title=The team behind the Arc browser gives an update on its upcoming Windows version |url=https://www.neowin.net/news/the-team-behind-the-arc-browser-gives-an-update-on-its-upcoming-windows-version/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230625015733/https://www.neowin.net/news/the-team-behind-the-arc-browser-gives-an-update-on-its-upcoming-windows-version/ |archive-date=25 June 2023 |access-date=24 June 2023 |website=Neowin}} released on 30 April 2024) and Windows 10.{{Cite web |last=Thurrott |first=Paul |date=2024-08-01 |title=Arc is Now Available for Windows 10 |url=https://www.thurrott.com/cloud/web-browsers/306525/arc-is-now-available-for-windows-10 |access-date=2024-08-04 |website=Thurrott.com |language=en-US}} A stripped-down companion app with only the sidebar functionality was released for iOS on 30 March 2023.{{Cite web |last=Pierce |first=David |date=30 March 2023 |title=Arc's mobile browser is here — and it's not really a web browser at all |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/30/23662130/arc-mobile-browser-hands-on-ios |website=The Verge |access-date=16 June 2023 |archive-date=16 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230616212720/https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/30/23662130/arc-mobile-browser-hands-on-ios |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Clark |first=Mitchell |date=27 March 2023 |title=Arc is coming to iPhone, but it won't replace Safari yet, says CEO |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/27/23658863/arc-browser-iphone-ios-companion-app-mac |website=The Verge |access-date=18 June 2023 |archive-date=18 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230618203310/https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/27/23658863/arc-browser-iphone-ios-companion-app-mac |url-status=live }} Arc Search, the experimental Act II mobile browser, replaced that app as the only Arc mobile app on iOS in January 2024. In April 2024, Sidebar Sync for Arc Members was removed from the App Store, being fully replaced by Arc Search. As of October 2024, Arc Search is in public beta on Android, emails have been sent to invited participants for the beta, but has fully opened on Google Play.{{Cite web |last=Wilde |first=Damien |date=2024-10-04 |title=Arc Search for Android is now available in beta |url=https://9to5google.com/2024/10/04/arc-search-for-android-is-now-available-in-beta/ |access-date=2024-10-04 |website=9to5Google |language=en-US}}

The "Browse for Me" feature from Arc Search has been made available for Arc on desktop.

Arc for Windows is available on Windows versions 11 and 10, but does not support devices with ARM processors, or devices with processors older than Intel Haswell, AMD Athlon or AMD Ryzen. Support for ARM64 is currently under development.{{Cite web |date=May 1, 2024 |title=Unsupported Devices |url=https://resources.arc.net/hc/en-us/articles/19400148671383-Unsupported-Devices }}

Arc has received generally favorable reviews from critics. How-To Geek gave the browser a 7/10, saying that "Arc has some excellent ideas and the confidence to lean into them [... but] feels like it needs a bit more polish to deliver a silky smooth browsing experience". David Pierce of The Verge agreed and said that "Arc isn’t perfect, and it takes some getting used to. But it’s full of big new ideas about how we should interact with the web — and it’s right about most of them". In an article published by Fast Company, Jared Newman called Arc the most polished of "all the attempts to reimagine the web browser". In an episode, David Imel of the Waveform Podcast said it was a "new take on the browser".{{Citation |title=We're Loving These Products! | date=2 March 2023 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_5QSsNpWmE |access-date=2023-12-19 |language=en}}

Chris Smith of BGR criticised the browser: "Arc is forcing you to create an account before you get to experience the browser at all. Google and Microsoft are dying for you to use their browsers while logged in. But they won’t force you to register an account if you don’t want to."{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Chris |title=I want to try the trendy Arc browser, but not if they force me to register an account |url=https://bgr.com/tech/i-want-to-try-the-trendy-arc-browser-but-not-if-they-force-me-to-register-an-account/ |website=BGR |date=31 July 2023}}

On October 2024, Miller announced that a planned redesign of Arc, formerly-dubbed "Arc 2.0", had been put on hold and that the browser would be maintaining its current feature set. He noted specific features (Arc's sidebar, spaces and pinned tabs) that users said they wished to keep when polled.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9yZ0JusME4 |title=What have we been up to? (CEO Update) |date=2024-10-24 |last=The Browser Company |access-date=2024-10-25 |via=YouTube}}

Miller said that Arc "isn't going anywhere" and would continue to receive stability updates and bug fixes{{cite web |last1=Horne |first1=Matt |title=The Browser Company is living up to its name, announces Arc follow-up |url=https://www.androidauthority.com/the-browser-company-planning-arc-alternative-3494362/ |website=Android Authority |language=en |date=25 October 2024}} but explained that the company felt a pivot to a new product focused around LLMs and AI was where they felt they should be heading. According to Miller, the new product was currently in the prototyping stage.

On December 2024, via a recruiting video, The Browser Company announced that their second product, a browser named Dia, will launch in "early 2025".{{Cite web |date=December 2, 2024 |title=Dia from The Browser Company |url=https://www.diabrowser.com }}

On May 27 2025, The Browser Company's Josh Miller explained the reasons for stopping Arc development and focusing solely on Dia instead.{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Josh |date=2025-05-26 |title=Letter to Arc members 2025 |url=https://browsercompany.substack.com/p/letter-to-arc-members-2025 |access-date=2025-05-27 |website=Keeping Tabs by The Browser Company}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Cite magazine |last=Carr |first=Austin |date=30 May 2022 |title=You're Browsing All Wrong |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2022-05-27/google-chrome-and-apple-safari-challenged-by-browser-upstart?leadSource=uverify%20wall |department=David vs. The Goliaths |magazine=Bloomberg Businessweek |issue=4743 |pages=58–61 |url-access=subscription}}

• {{Cite interview |last=Parrott |first=Nate |interviewer=Raymond Wong |title=Arc browser for iPhone is bringing skeuomorphism back (kind of) |url=https://www.inverse.com/gear/arc-web-browser-mobile-app-skeuomorphism-design |work=Inverse |date=24 January 2023}}
• {{Cite web |last=Wawro |first=Alex |date=28 January 2023 |title=I might ditch Chrome for the new Arc browser — here's why |url=https://www.tomsguide.com/opinion/i-almost-ditched-chrome-for-the-arc-web-browser-heres-why |website=Tom's Guide}}

• {{Official website|https://arc.net/}}

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