The Browser Company will discontinue its distinctive Arc browser on December 22, 2026, and direct users to its AI-first browser, Dia. The company announced this decision on Thursday, citing rising costs of maintaining browser security in the age of AI.
The company wrote: "Maintaining browser security requires continuous, focused effort, and in the AI era, this work will only increase."
Dia was built from the start according to today’s security standards, so our engineering and security teams will focus here going forward.
This wind-down will occur in three steps. Starting Thursday, new Arc accounts will 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 log in or sync tabs, but the app will still function as a basic local browser.
On December 22, Arc will completely shut down 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.
Although The Browser Company claims that Dia has surpassed Arc in speed, stability, and security benchmarks, user reactions on social media have generally been disappointing, with many again calling on the company to open-source Arc.
However, CEO Josh Miller previously noted that Arc is built on the Arc Development Kit (ADK), an internal proprietary SDK that serves as the core engine powering Dia. Open-sourcing Arc would mean relinquishing Dia’s intellectual property.
Miller previously said: "Although we also hope to open-source Arc one day, we cannot truly do so without simultaneously open-sourcing the ADK, which remains at the core of the company's value."
For users transitioning over, Dia will retain corresponding versions of several core Arc features. Users can still switch between work and personal environments via Dia’s “Profiles” (formerly Arc’s Spaces). Arc’s signature vertical tabs will be preserved as an optional sidebar layout, and Folders will be renamed to “Pinned Tab Groups.”
Passwords, bookmarks, extensions, and history will seamlessly migrate to Dia. Arc’s related features will remain free in Dia, while AI features are optional.
This closure formally concludes a chapter that began in 2025, when the startup halted active feature development for Arc. The Browser Company was acquired by Atlassian for $610 million in 2025. At the time, the company acknowledged that although early users appreciated the browser’s innovative interface, the “novelty tax” and complexity limited its mainstream adoption. Arc has remained beloved by a dedicated group of enthusiasts but never became the mass-market Chrome alternative its founders originally envisioned.