Arc
Chromium browser with a vertical sidebar, Spaces and profiles. Shutting down on 2026-12-22 in favour of Dia.
Arc is a Chromium-based browser from The Browser Company (owned by Atlassian since 2025) that puts tabs in a vertical sidebar organised into Spaces. Spaces can be tied to profiles, and the browser adds Split View, Peek, Little Arc and Boosts. Feature development stopped in 2025, and the company will end Arc for macOS and Windows on 2026-12-22. New accounts have been blocked since 2026-10-22, and users are directed to its successor, Dia.
Built-in AI
AI optional
Arc Max (Tidy Tab Titles, Tidy Downloads, 5-Second Previews, ChatGPT in command bar) is off until turned on in Settings → Max; content goes to OpenAI/Anthropic.
resources.arc.netNot counted in Arc parity: some people want AI, some avoid it.
Bloat check
2 things you didn't ask for
- Telemetry on by defaultSegment and BigQuery product-usage telemetry and Sentry crash data are collected by default; no opt-out setting is documented.arc.net
- Account requiredAn Arc account (email sign-up) is required to use the browser; new accounts have been closed since 2026-10-22.arc.net
Ads, crypto, paid upsells, news feeds, default-on telemetry, required accounts.
Organization
| Feature | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical sidebarTabs live in a vertical sidebar that is the main tab UI and can be hidden. | ✓ | Bundle 1.172.1: Sidebar model (StorableSidebar) with Favorites, pinned and unpinned sections per Space.releases.arc.net |
| SpacesSeveral workspaces per window, each with its own pinned and open tabs, switched by swipe or shortcut. | ✓ | Bundle 1.172.1: SpaceCreation, SpaceManagement and SpaceStyleEditor modules; Spaces switchable by menu and shortcut.releases.arc.net |
| Profiles per Space (shareable)Each Space can use its own browser profile (separate cookies, logins, history), and one profile can be shared by several Spaces. | ✓ | Bundle 1.172.1: Profile holds history, logins, cookies, extensions; one Profile can serve several Spaces.releases.arc.net |
| Global favoritesPinned icons at the top of the sidebar shared by every Space (Zen calls them Essentials). | ✓ | Bundle 1.172.1: Favorites section ("Drag to add Favorites"); kept per profile per web docs, not verified in bundle.releases.arc.net |
| Pinned tabs & foldersPer-space pinned tabs that act like bookmarks, with nested folders. | ✓ | Bundle 1.172.1: Pinned tab sections per Space and folders, with a "New Nested Folder" action.releases.arc.net |
| Auto-archive tabsUnpinned tabs close automatically after a set time and stay recoverable in an archive. | ✓ | Bundle 1.172.1: archive after 12 h/24 h/7 d/30 d or never, per profile; 12 h default per release notes.releases.arc.net |
| Space themesPer-space colour or gradient themes. | ✓ | Bundle 1.172.1: SpaceStyleEditor and WindowThemeUI modules with gradient Space themes ("Add some flair with a theme").releases.arc.net |
Browsing
| Feature | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Split ViewTwo or more tabs side by side in one window. | ✓ | Bundle 1.172.1: Split View with right/bottom panes and layout flip; pane cap exists, "four" from web docs.releases.arc.net |
| Link previewOpen a link in an overlay without leaving the current page (Zen calls it Glance). | ✓ | Bundle 1.172.1: Peek setting for links from Favorites and Pinned tabs, or Shift-click/hover on any link.releases.arc.net |
| Mini windowA small, chrome-less window for links opened from other apps or a quick search. | ✓ | Bundle 1.172.1: LittleBrowser module; "Links from other apps open in Little Arc" setting; global hotkey.releases.arc.net |
| Command barA ⌘T palette that searches tabs, history, bookmarks and browser commands. | ✓ | Bundle 1.172.1: CommandBar module; searches tabs and runs actions, with Ask ChatGPT results.releases.arc.net |
| Link routingRules that send links from other apps to a chosen space or profile. | ✓ | Bundle 1.172.1: Air Traffic Control routes (menu action) in the macOS app; Windows support not checked.releases.arc.net |
| Site customizationPer-site custom CSS/JS, or zapping elements off a page. | ✓ | Bundle 1.172.1: BoostsEditor/BoostsDialog modules with element picker; JS Boosts cannot be shared. Not in Dia.releases.arc.net |
| Auto picture-in-picturePlaying video pops out into picture-in-picture automatically when you switch tabs. | ✓ | Bundle 1.172.1: "Enable Picture in Picture when you leave a video tab"; per-host and global off switches.releases.arc.net |
Compatibility & migration
| Feature | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Arc importImports Arc spaces, pinned tabs and folders. | – | Arc is the baseline browser. |
| Chrome extensionsInstalls extensions from the Chrome Web Store. | ✓ | Bundle 1.172.1: Chromium 157 with extensions and Chrome Web Store installer code (webstore_standalone_installer).releases.arc.net |
| DRM (Widevine)Netflix, Disney+, Spotify web and other DRM video/audio play. Chromium forks need a Google Widevine licence. | ✓ | Bundle 1.172.1: Widevine CDM component installer in ArcCore; CDM is downloaded at runtime, not shipped in the app.releases.arc.net |
| PasskeysWebAuthn passkeys, Touch ID and the system/iCloud keychain. | ✓ | Bundle 1.172.1: web-browser.public-key-credential entitlement plus webcredentials:arc.net; Windows not checked.releases.arc.net |
| SyncSpaces, pinned tabs and settings sync across devices. | ✓ | Bundle 1.172.1: Arc Sync replaces iCloud sidebar sync (Firestore bundled); ends 2026-12-22; scope per web docs.releases.arc.net |
| Mobile appiPhone, iPad or Android app that shares spaces with desktop. | ◐ | Arc Search shares Spaces/tabs with desktop only until 2026-11-23; Android removed 2026-12-22.resources.arc.net |
Extras
| Feature | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in ad blockerAd and tracker blocking without installing an extension. | ✓ | Bundle 1.172.1: built-in "Block Ads & Trackers" with EasyList/uBlock/AdGuard lists; uBlock Origin was the older default.releases.arc.net |
Extension support
Which extension formats and stores run, beyond the Chrome Web Store row above. Not counted in Arc parity.
| Feature | Arc | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Manifest V2 extensionsThe older extension format Chrome removed in 2025. Needed for full uBlock Origin and other extensions that block requests. | ✕ | Chromium 157 blocks MV2 with no flag; bundle holds stock MV2 handler strings, no restore patch found.chromium.googlesource.com |
| Manifest V3 extensionsThe current extension format used by the Chrome Web Store (and supported by Firefox and Safari). | ✓ | Chromium 157 loads MV3 (max supported 3); ArcCore ships Chrome Web Store installer code.chromium.googlesource.com |
| Firefox add-onsAdd-ons from addons.mozilla.org or .xpi files install and run. | ✕ | Chromium-based: Firefox .xpi add-ons are not CRX packages, so its installer rejects them.chromium.googlesource.com |
| Safari extensionsSafari web extensions (the App Store extension apps Safari uses) install and run. | ✕ | Safari extensions are app extensions that only Safari loads; Chromium 157 has no loader for them.developer.apple.com |