Moving to the Arc browser is tough. It’s not hard because of technology. Arc helps with importing bookmarks and uses the same engine as Chrome.
The startup, The Browser Company, made sure the onboarding process is enjoyable. But Arc is different from what we’re used to in browsers. It needs time and effort to get used to.
The CEO of The Browser Company, Josh Miller, often talks about browsers and operating systems. Browsers usually just show the web without bothering you much. They have tabs, a URL bar, and sometimes extensions.
Operating systems, though, are deeply involved in how things work. For example, Siri and Apple Pay work across apps on your iPhone.
Google’s Material You change how everything looks on your phone. Things like share menus or drag-and-drop between apps are all part of the operating system.
Arc aims to be the web’s operating system. It created tools to control apps and content easily. Tabs and bookmarks are now like launching apps. It also made some platform-wide apps. The app is more opinionated and complex than typical browsers with similar tabs at the top.
Think of it like this: Arc sees the web like TikTok sees video. It’s not just something to watch; it’s pieces you can remix and create with. Feel like changing something or have an idea? You can do it.
It’s an exciting time for web browsers. After years of Chrome ruling, users want more features, privacy, and a better UI. Vivaldi has clever features, SigmaOS focuses on browsers as operating systems, Brave prioritizes privacy, and even Edge and Firefox are improving quickly.
But Arc is the most ambitious: it’s not just about improving the browser but reinventing it completely.
I’ve been using Arc on and off for over a year and as my main browser for the past few months. Right now, it’s only available for Mac, but Windows and mobile versions are in the works for next year.
Arc is still in beta, with some missing features and annoying bugs, but its big ideas are promising. I’m not sure if The Browser Company will beat the giants, but I believe the future of browsers will be a lot like Arc.
A fresh approach to tabs
To truly grasp Arc, you need to start with the sidebar. It’s not just about saving space on your wide monitor with vertical tabs; it’s a whole new way of managing what you see in your browser.
The sidebar in Arc is like a mix of tabs and bookmarks, located on the left side of the window. Each item represents a web page or an app you can return to easily. It’s similar to the multitasking window on an iPhone but includes all your browser tabs.
For example, if I want to get back to Gmail in Arc, I just use Command-T to open the command bar and search for it.
Arc is perfect for organizing. You can add up to eight apps to a Favorites section at the top of the sidebar. Below that, you can pin tabs or create folders of tabs and subfolders.
You can rename tabs for easier finding, which is really handy. Plus, you can customize the color and transparency of the sidebar.
By default, Arc closes all your open and unpinned tabs every 12 hours, which it calls “Today Tabs.” You can drag any tabs you want to keep above a line in the sidebar to pin them. This keeps your sidebar neat, and Arc stores closed tabs on a searchable page for later retrieval.
You can also choose to have them auto-archived every 24 hours or every seven or 30 days. Personally, I turned off the Archive feature in settings because I prefer my tab chaos.
The powerful organizational tool in Arc is Spaces. It allows you to switch between different modes quickly. Each space can have different pins, tabs, sidebar colors, and user accounts.
Spaces are great for keeping personal and work stuff separate or managing multiple accounts. Personally, I prefer to keep everything in one window, but Spaces are well-executed in Arc.
Arc’s structural concept is good, but it’s clumsy in some areas. It’s too easy to open multiple Gmail tabs without realizing it’s already running. Adding many pins quickly clutters the sidebar, making it hard to find open tabs.
There’s no designated place for occasional bookmarks or bookmarklets, so they’re always visible in the sidebar. If you switch spaces frequently, it’s challenging to remember where things are located.
To navigate Arc’s quirks, master its keyboard shortcuts. Pressing Command-T opens the command bar for various tasks like opening tabs, searching, activating extensions, and changing settings.
Command plus number keys jump to pinned tabs, while Control plus number keys switch between spaces. Though the URL bar is at the top of the sidebar, Command-Shift-C quickly copies the current page’s URL.
Arc encourages closing the sidebar (Command-S) and navigating primarily through keyboard commands.
Arc caters to power users, like those who meticulously plan vacations with spreadsheets. As a power browser user, it took me some time to fully understand Arc, but it suits my needs well.
However, its support for multi-window usage is confusing and frustrating. Opening a second window mirrors the sidebar, so closing a tab in one window removes it everywhere.
“Little Arc” windows can only hold one page each, and Split View, while allowing up to four pages side by side, is mainly useful for specific app combinations.
I customized the “New Blank Window” shortcut to Command-N for a clean workspace. However, an Arc bug resets shortcuts after updates, forcing me to reassign it often.
Arc is currently only accessible on Macs, but it syncs across devices using iCloud better than any other browser I’ve tested. I can switch between my Mac Mini and MacBook Air and find the same open tabs.
While Spaces also sync, you have to log in on each device. This syncing feature is crucial for mobile, where browsers typically struggle to sync with desktop versions.
Arc is based on the same engine as Chrome, called Chromium. This allows it to benefit from Chrome’s internet optimization but also inherits some performance issues. Arc utilizes Chrome’s history page, and Autofill technology, and is compatible with Chrome extensions.
While it simplifies tab organization and reduces the risk of computer slowdowns, occasional freezes and crashes may still happen.
Arc has improved over time, and although I wouldn’t suggest everyone switch immediately, it offers enhancements to browsing. Its real intrigue lies in how it interacts with the web.
The online computer
Arc’s built-in media controls enhance the user experience. A small player appears in the sidebar when playing media, allowing users to control playback without switching tabs.
Similarly, microphone and speaker controls appear for video conferencing, streamlining workflow within the browser.
I have similar feelings about Arc’s picture-in-picture mode. It pops the video you’re watching into a small window when you switch tabs or apps, even across different macOS Spaces. Currently, it’s basic, just moving the video player over other tabs.
However, The Browser Company aims to expand its capabilities. Imagine if it included chat, allowing you to watch and talk in the overlay. What if it worked for video chats and more than just videos?
Arc’s features, like the sidebar for managing downloads and screenshots and the app launcher functionality, extend its functionality beyond a traditional web browser.
This aligns with the company’s vision of a web-centric future where web apps handle many tasks currently performed by native apps.
The Browser Company integrated two new apps into Arc: Notes and Easels. Notes is simple, providing a quick way to jot down thoughts on a blank page with a unique URL for saving or sharing.
Easels are more advanced, offering a whiteboard-like space for writing, drawing, or adding media. They can even display live web pages, making them collaborative and shareable.
Arc makes editing websites easier with its Boosts feature. Like browser extensions, Boosts let you write CSS to change site appearance or function. For instance, I use one to remove Twitter’s Trending sidebar and another to tidy up my Gmail page.
Although there might be a Boosts store in the future, it’s already simple to customize sites to your liking.
In some ways, Arc resembles ChromeOS more than Chrome. It aims to make the browser the only app necessary, as in a world of web apps and URL files, what more do you really need?
However, for now, I still require more than just a browser, especially because Arc’s window management is lacking, making it difficult to navigate quickly among all my content.
I believe Arc is correct: we need a web operating system that simplifies working across apps, organizes everything, and enhances overall functionality.
While it will be even more valuable once it’s accessible on mobile and Windows, it’s already my go-to browser. Tabs are outdated. Sidebars are the future.
