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Maintenance modeChromium 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

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Runs on

  • macOSmacOS: Available
  • WindowsWindows: Available
  • LinuxLinux: Unavailable
  • AndroidAndroid: Available
  • iOSiOS: Available

Choose it when

Keep using Arc only if you already rely on it and accept that no new work is going into it; for a new setup, start from a browser that is still being developed.

Avoid it when

Avoid adopting Arc now: The Browser Company's own download page says Arc receives Chromium updates only and points readers to Dia for active security patches.

Quick answers

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

Which platforms does Arc run on?
Which platforms does Arc run on?
Documented on macOS, Windows, Android, and iOS. Not available on Linux.
Can I install Chrome extensions?
Can I install Chrome extensions?
Yes - the Chrome Web Store is supported.
Does it block trackers out of the box?
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?
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?
Is it still being developed?
Maintenance mode - The Browser Company states on the Arc download page that Arc receives Chromium updates only and directs users to Dia for active security patches; builds remain downloadable.

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

Maintenance mode. The Browser Company states on the Arc download page that Arc receives Chromium updates only and directs users to Dia for active security patches; builds remain downloadable.

Editorial view

Arc is the browser that made the sidebar-first model famous, and it is also a browser you should think twice before adopting in 2026. The Browser Company has moved development to Dia. Arc's download page says it now receives Chromium security updates only, with users pointed to Dia for active work. The builds still run on macOS and Windows, Arc Search covers Android and iOS as its own mobile product, and there was never a Linux release. Maintenance mode is not abandonment, but nothing about Arc's own interface or services is being developed further.

What made it matter

Still visible, and still the reference design:

  • 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.

Privacy

Unremarkable in both directions. Telemetry is built in per Arc's privacy docs, browser-level blocking controls exist, Google is the default search, there is no VPN, and no fingerprinting posture is claimed. Private browsing clears local data only.

The verdict

It follows from the status, not the design. If you already live in Arc, it keeps working and keeps getting engine patches, and there is no emergency. If you are choosing a browser today, building your workflow inside a frozen product means betting on an interface that will never get another feature or fix beyond Chromium rebases. The browsers still shipping this model are the practical picks: Zen on Gecko, Vivaldi and Floorp with their own takes, SigmaOS on WebKit. Arc is the reference they get measured against.

So: keep it if it is already yours, study it if you are curious what the fuss reorganised, and start somewhere maintained if you are starting fresh. Export your spaces and bookmarks either way, because migration out of a sidebar-first browser is easier before the tab pile calcifies, and Arc's importers were built for arriving, not leaving.

Where these facts come from

Every capability above is read from a primary source and dated. 1 of 30 fields stay recorded as unknown rather than assumed.

If this is not it

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