Arc browser sunsets December 22 as The Browser Company doubles down on Dia

The Browser Company is sunsetting its design-forward Arc browser on December 22, 2026, and directing users to Dia, its AI-first browser. The company announced the decision on Thursday, citing the rising cost of keeping a browser secure in the age of AI.

“Keeping a browser secure takes constant, dedicated work that is only increasing in the age of AI,” the company wrote. 

“Dia was built from the ground up to meet today’s security standards, so that’s where our engineering and security teams will focus moving forward.” 

The wind-down is staged into three parts. As of Thursday, new Arc accounts can no longer be created. On November 23, Arc Search on iOS and Android will lose its AI features, including “Browse for Me.” Users will no longer be able to sign in or sync tabs, though the app will continue functioning as a basic local browser.

On December 22, Arc will stop working entirely on Mac and Windows. Accounts will be deactivated, and personal data will be deleted within 30 days. Arc Search will also be removed from the Google Play Store.

While The Browser Company claims Dia now surpasses Arc in speed, stability, and security benchmarks, user reactions on social media were largely disappointed, with many reviving requests for the company to make Arc open-source.

But CEO Josh Miller previously pointed out that Arc is built on the Arc Development Kit (ADK)—a proprietary internal SDK that is also the core engine powering Dia. Open-sourcing Arc would mean giving away Dia’s intellectual property.

“While we’d love to open–sourcing ADK,” Miller previously noted. “And ADK is still core to our company’s value.”

For users making the switch, Dia will carry over equivalents of several core Arc features. Users can still swipe between different work and personal environments using Dia’s “Profiles” (formerly Arc’s Spaces). Arc’s signature vertical tabs will remain as an optional sidebar layout, while Folders have been rebranded as “Pinned Tab Groups.”

Passwords, bookmarks, extensions, and history will seamlessly transfer to Dia. Arc features will remain free in Dia, with AI optional.

The shutdown officially closes a chapter that began in 2025, when the startup stopped active feature development on Arc. The Browser Company—which was acquired by Atlassian for $610 million in 2025—conceded at the time that while early adopters loved the browser’s novel interface, the “novelty tax” and complexity limited mainstream adoption. Arc was fiercely beloved by a dedicated group of enthusiasts, but it never quite became the mass-market Chrome alternative its makers once envisioned.

Source: techcrunch.com