Verified Sep 2026

DiscontinuedChromium engine 29/30 documented

Arc

A Chromium browser centered on spaces, a persistent sidebar, and a redesigned tab workflow.

Published by The Browser Company (United States) · Verified September 2026

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Runs on

macOSmacOS: Partial
WindowsWindows: Partial
LinuxLinux: Unavailable
AndroidAndroid: Partial
iOSiOS: Partial

Choose it when

Do not start with Arc. If you use it today, export your data and move before December 22, 2026, when the desktop app stops opening.

Avoid it when

Avoid adopting Arc: The Browser Company announced on October 22, 2026 that Arc shuts down on December 22, 2026, and new accounts are already closed.

Quick answers

Read straight off the verified record - every one of these is expanded with its source below.

Which platforms does Arc run on?: No platform in this record documents a current Arc build.
Can I install Chrome extensions?: Yes - the Chrome Web Store is supported.
Does it block trackers out of the box?: Yes - tracker or ad blocking is on by default. Arc includes browser-level blocking controls, with scope set by product defaults.
Does it have built-in AI features?: Yes - 2 of 9 documented AI capabilities are built in.
Is it open source?: Chromium base with proprietary Arc interface and services
Is it still being developed?: Discontinued - The Browser Company announced on October 22, 2026 that Arc shuts down on December 22, 2026: new accounts are closed, Arc Search loses sign-in, sync, and AI features on November 23, and the desktop app stops opening on macOS and Windows after December 22. Users are pointed to Dia, and the latest build includes a full data export.

Arc at a glance

Documented capabilities per area - a count, not a rating

Overlay

Privacy2/4Extensions2.5/4Workflow11/11AI2/9Platforms2/5

Each spoke is the share of that area's documented capabilities; a partial counts half. Hover or focus an area for the count.

Privacy: 2/4 1 not verified
Extensions: 2.5/4
Workflow: 11/11
AI: 2/9 1 not verified
Platforms: 2/5

Where Arc sits

On its two strongest areas. Its alternatives are listed below the chart, every other browser is a grey dot, and hovering a logo names it.

Workflow features (of 11)

Extension support (of 4)

Arc2.5, 11
Microsoft Edge2.5, 9
Vivaldi2.5, 11
Zen Browser3, 11

Open the full browser map

What Arc does

Open any row for the wording and the source behind it

Privacy and tracking

2 built in · 1 not available · 1 undocumented

Blocks trackers by defaultBlocks trackers by default: Built in
Arc includes browser-level blocking controls, with scope set by product defaults.
Anti-fingerprintingAnti-fingerprinting: Unknown
No hardened anti-fingerprinting posture is claimed here.
Telemetry postureTelemetry posture: Built in
Arc documents account, diagnostics, and product data in its privacy materials.
Built-in VPN or proxyBuilt-in VPN or proxy: Unavailable
No general browser VPN is included.
Private windowsPrivate browsing limits local data but does not create anonymity.
Private browsing limits local data but does not create anonymity.
Default search engineGoogle

Extensions and blocking

3 built in · 1 partial · 1 not available

Chrome Web StoreChrome Web Store: Supported
Firefox Add-onsFirefox Add-ons: Unsupported
Native content blockingNative content blocking: Built in
Browser blocking controls are native; do not treat them as a universal blocker guarantee.
Manifest V3Manifest V3: Built in
Manifest V3 extensions are supported.
Manifest V2Manifest V2: Available by extension
Chromium extension support follows current Chromium APIs.
Known limitationsArc's spaces and sidebar can change how extensions present UI compared with Chrome.
Arc's spaces and sidebar can change how extensions present UI compared with Chrome.

Workflow

11 built in

Vertical tabsVertical tabs: Built in
Arc's sidebar is a vertical tab and space workflow.
Tab treesTab trees: Built in
Nested folders of pinned tabs give the sidebar a hierarchy.
Workspaces or spacesWorkspaces or spaces: Built in
Spaces are central to Arc's organization model.
ProfilesProfiles: Built in
Profiles and spaces separate browsing contexts.
Split viewSplit view: Built in
Split View with horizontal and vertical layouts is documented for macOS and Windows.
SidebarSidebar: Built in
The sidebar is the primary navigation surface.
Reader modeReader mode: Built in
Reader features are available in Arc's page tools.
Command paletteCommand palette: Built in
Command Bar provides command-style navigation.
Sync across devicesSync across devices: Built in
Arc syncs supported spaces and browser data through its account model.
TranslationTranslation: Built in
A built-in translation feature is documented.
Progressive web appsProgressive web apps: Built in
Chromium web-app installation is supported.

AI features

2 built in · 6 not available · 1 undocumented

Built-in assistantBuilt-in assistant: Built in
Arc Max provides a built-in assistant surface.
Page summarisationPage summarisation: Built in
Arc Max documents page or multi-tab summarisation.
Acts on pages for youActs on pages for you: Unavailable
Agentic actions are not documented.
AI answer engineAI answer engine: Unavailable
An AI answer engine is not documented.
Works across open tabsWorks across open tabs: Unavailable
Cross-tab context is not documented.
Text or image generationText or image generation: Unavailable
Generation features are not documented.
Choice of modelChoice of model: Unavailable
Model selection is not documented.
Retention or training controlsRetention or training controls: Unknown
AI privacy controls are not documented.
Voice or image inputVoice or image input: Unavailable
Voice or image interaction is not documented.

On a phone

10 undocumented

Undocumented is not the same as absent - it means the publisher does not state it.

Extensions on mobileExtensions on mobile: Unknown
Extension support on mobile is not documented.
Can be the phone defaultCan be the phone default: Unknown
Default-browser capability is not documented.
Biometric lockBiometric lock: Unknown
Biometric locking is not documented.
Offline readingOffline reading: Unknown
Offline reading is not documented.
Desktop-site modeDesktop-site mode: Unknown
Desktop-site mode is not documented.
Download managerDownload manager: Unknown
A built-in download manager is not documented.
Background playbackBackground playback: Unknown
Background or picture-in-picture playback is not documented.
Web pushWeb push: Unknown
Web push support is not documented.
Data saverData saver: Unknown
Address-bar placementAddress-bar placement: Unknown
Address-bar placement is not documented.

Under the hood

Rendering engine: Chromium
JavaScript engine: V8
Upstream project: Chromium
Release channel: stable
Code and licence: Chromium base with proprietary Arc interface and services
Install method: Official desktop download or mobile app store.
Hardware support: Check current help documentation for supported desktop architecture.

Source repository

Discontinued. The Browser Company announced on October 22, 2026 that Arc shuts down on December 22, 2026: new accounts are closed, Arc Search loses sign-in, sync, and AI features on November 23, and the desktop app stops opening on macOS and Windows after December 22. Users are pointed to Dia, and the latest build includes a full data export.

Editorial view

Arc is the browser that made the sidebar-first model famous, and it is being shut down. On October 22, 2026, The Browser Company announced that Arc stops working on December 22, 2026. Development had already ended in 2025, when the company moved its work to Dia, and this announcement turns that freeze into a hard stop.

The shutdown timeline

October 22, 2026: new Arc accounts can no longer be created
November 23, 2026: Arc Search on Android and iOS loses sign-in, tab sync, and its AI features
December 15, 2026: last day to request a copy of your Arc account data, or its deletion
December 22, 2026: Arc no longer opens on macOS or Windows

The latest Arc build includes an option to export all your data. Use it before the deadline, not after.

If you use Arc today

There is no emergency this week, but there is a deadline. Until December 22 the desktop app keeps working, so the sensible order is: export everything from the latest build, pick a replacement by the part of Arc you rely on most, recreate your spaces and pinned tabs there, and only then stop opening Arc. Chromium-based picks keep your extensions; Gecko-based picks mean checking each one has a Firefox equivalent.

What made it matter

Still the reference design that other browsers get measured against:

Spaces separate contexts properly, with the persistent sidebar treating vertical tabs and nested pinned-tab folders as primary navigation
The Command Bar drives everything from the keyboard
Split view tiles pages horizontally or vertically
Profiles, sync, Reader, and web apps round it out, and Arc Max builds in a ChatGPT-backed assistant with page summaries

Underneath is standard Chromium and V8, so Chrome Web Store extensions install, with Manifest V3 current. There was never a Linux release.

Where to go

The browsers still shipping this model are the practical picks: Zen on Gecko, Vivaldi and Floorp with their own takes, SigmaOS on WebKit. Dia is the company's own successor, but it is an AI-first product rather than a like-for-like replacement for Arc's way of organising tabs.

Export your spaces, bookmarks, and passwords now, list the extensions you depend on, and plan how pinned tabs map before you switch. This page stays up as a record of what Arc was and where its users can go.

Where these facts come from

Every capability above comes from a dated primary source. 1 of 30 fields are still unknown.

Arc official help center
Product availability and workflow documentation.
Verified Sep 2026

Alternatives to Arc

Reviewed comparisons featuring Arc

Arc vs Zen
Choose Zen. Arc shuts down on December 22, 2026, so this comparison is now about what Arc users give up and gain by moving to Zen's Firefox-based sidebar and workspaces.
Compare head-to-head