The reports of the death of Arc Browser are greatly exaggerated. Arc is The Browser Company’s creation, and it isn’t planning to add any new features or apply bug fixes to the browser. Instead, The Browser Company is working on Dia, an AI-powered browser without some of Arc’s best features. You can keep using Arc anyway, which is still receiving crucial security updates. In fact, I actually recommend it.
I’ve tried all the popular browsers, including Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, and haven’t been satisfied. Safari’s cross-platform tab management features put it ahead of those three alternatives, but its reliability left much to be desired, and support outside the Apple ecosystem is nonexistent. For years, I searched for a browser with the simplicity and productivity features of Safari with a Chromium engine and better cross-platform support. I found Arc, and it’s the perfect browser for people who live in their browser all day.
Arc puts the focus on your content by design
It’s the most immersive browser I’ve ever used, maximizing focus
If you have a specific workflow that requires dedicated apps or use your computer for gaming, you might not realize that most people do the majority of their computing in a web browser. For instance, when I studied in college, I used browsers for reading textbooks, taking exams, creating documents, and accessing learning platforms. Word processors like Microsoft Word or Google Docs run directly in your browser without requiring a standalone app. You can even edit photos or videos and code within a web browser.
The importance of browsers for computing makes choosing the right one all the more significant. You want a browser that puts the focus on your content and limits distractions, and no browser does that better than Arc. By default, Arc opens in a viewing mode with minimal borders that shows off your webpage front and center. The Arc for Windows app only features a subtle toolbar at the top with an address bar, page controls, and view options. Arc’s macOS app is even more immersive. With this mode active, there are zero controls visible.
The clean user interface leaves more room for browsing with fewer obstructions. You can always access the tab list and full toolbar by moving your cursor to the far left side of the browser. When you need to move between tabs often or access other Arc features, there’s an option to pin the sidebar so it never disappears. Even when the sidebar is visible, its position on the side rather than the top leaves more vertical height for browsing — this is ideal for reading or document editing.
Aside from a small border that wraps around your content, Arc’s mode is the most immersive of any browser I’ve used. You get the experience of viewing a site in full-screen mode while using Arc’s windowed mode, which is excellent for versatility.
Vertical tabs are a godsend for productivity
Keeping tabs organized and accessible has never been easier
Everything you’ve heard about vertical tabs is true — they are the key to more productive browsing. Horizontal tabs are flawed because when you open enough of them, tab previews condense to the point that you lose track of where the tabs you need are located. Vertical tabs don’t have this frustrating problem. They appear as an organized list with tab previews that can be easily scrolled regardless of how many tabs you have opened. Additionally, vertical tabs are better at organizing and separating pinned tabs and temporary tabs.
Arc’s organization features include spaces, folders, and tabs. I use the spaces tool to create different browsing workspaces for work and personal use, and you can create more if you need a dedicated home for school or volunteer work, for instance. Each of these spaces has a section for pinned tabs, which are never archived. If you have a document you always need open or a task management site you always use, these are the perfect examples of useful pinned tabs. I don’t use folders much, but they’re self-explanatory and give you even more room to organize your browsing content.
Pinned tabs in Arc are somewhat of a hybrid between a tab and a bookmark. They operate like a tab, but you can hover over a pinned tab to return to the exact subpage you pinned. For example, if I pin MakeUseOf as a tab and click a few articles, I can return to the site’s homepage with a single click. The reverse works too. I could pin a specific MakeUseOf article, click a few things on the site, and immediately return to the article I pinned by clicking the pinned tab in the sidebar. It’s a great way to clean up your pinned tab list after a long day of work.
Another thing Arc does well is preview links, especially for pinned tabs. When you click a link in a pinned tab, it appears as a small preview instead of opening an entirely new tab. These are called “peeks,” and they help make viewing site links quicker. You can also intuitively create split view arrangements for multiple sites using the toolbar or sidebar, depending on the platform.
Tab management is crucial for web-based workflows, and no browser handles it better than Arc.
I forced myself to use Vertical Tabs for a week and I can never go back
One week with vertical tabs boosted my productivity, and it’ll boost yours, too.
Cross-platform sync is the unifier
Arc becomes your go-to browser on any platform or device
One thing I look for in every piece of software is cross-platform support. I use a mix of macOS, Windows, Android, and iOS devices, so I need a browser that’ll work well on all those platforms. When I primarily used Chrome and Safari as my main browsers, I hated losing progress every time I switched ecosystems. That’s the Arc feature that won me over — it supports account-based cross-platform sync across all those platforms using the Arc Sync tool.
Things like pinned tabs remain available regardless of what device you’re using, and update in real time. If you need to start work on your company-issued Windows laptop and finish it on your personal MacBook, you can do that. If you begin something on your laptop and finish it up on your phone, that’s easy with Arc, too.
Arc doesn’t make me dread living in my browser all day long. Between the immersive views and tab management features, it becomes enjoyable.
- OS
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macOS, Windows, Android, iOS
- Developer
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The Browser Company
- Cost
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Free
Arc is a productivity-focused browser available across macOS, Windows, Android, and iOS. It features vertical tabs with excellent organization tools and cross-platform sync. There are handy tricks like link peeking and pinned tabs that save you time. Plus, it’s free.
