Arc Browser to Shut Down on December 22 as Company Shifts Focus to Dia

The Browser Company has officially announced plans to discontinue its popular Arc browser, bringing an end to a product that attracted users with its distinctive design, vertical tabs and workspace organisation features. In an announcement published on October 22, 2026, the company confirmed that Arc will be shut down on December 22, meaning users will no longer be able to access or use the desktop browser on Windows and macOS after that date. The decision reflects the company’s shift towards Dia, a browser designed around artificial intelligence and more personalised browsing experiences. Although Arc stopped receiving major new features in 2025, the company had continued maintaining the product. The latest announcement establishes a final date for its retirement and gives existing users approximately two months to prepare for the transition.

According to the company’s announcement, the shutdown will happen in stages, affecting desktop and mobile users differently. New Arc account registrations have already stopped, although existing desktop users can continue browsing for now. On November 23, Arc Search users on iOS and Android will lose access to Browse for Me and other AI features, while account sign-in and tab synchronisation will also end. The iOS version will remain available as a simplified browser, but Arc Search for Android is scheduled to be removed from the Google Play Store on December 22. On that same date, Arc’s desktop applications will stop working, and existing accounts will be deactivated. The phased approach is intended to give users time to export important information and move to another browser before services end.

A major concern for users is what will happen to their saved passwords, bookmarks, browsing history and open tabs. The Browser Company says personal data associated with Arc accounts will be deleted within 30 days after account deactivation. Users who want to preserve their information are therefore being encouraged to export their data or transfer it to Dia before the shutdown date. The company says passwords, bookmarks, extensions and browsing history can be imported into Dia, along with organisational features such as Spaces, Folders and Tab Groups. Dia uses Profiles to organise different browsing environments while retaining several features that Arc users may recognise. The company has also added data-export options to Arc’s latest version to make the migration process easier.

The decision to retire Arc is closely connected to the company’s growing investment in Dia. The Browser Company says maintaining a secure browser requires continuous engineering work, particularly as artificial intelligence introduces new security challenges. Instead of dividing resources between two products, the company plans to concentrate its engineering and security teams on Dia. It also claims that Dia now performs better than Arc in its internal benchmarks for stability, speed and security. Dia retains features such as vertical tabs, split view, pinned tabs and organised browsing spaces, while adding optional AI capabilities. However, some users may be disappointed by the decision because Arc’s design and workflow features helped it build a dedicated community. The company has not announced plans to open-source Arc as part of its retirement.

The shutdown also highlights the difficult economics of developing and maintaining modern web browsers. Users increasingly expect browsers to offer advanced privacy protections, regular security updates and support for changing web standards. At the same time, browser companies are investing in AI assistants capable of searching information, summarising pages and helping users complete tasks online. The Browser Company is betting that concentrating its resources on Dia will allow it to compete more effectively in this changing market. For existing Arc users, the immediate priority is to save important data and decide whether to migrate to Dia or choose another browser. With December 22 approaching, the company has made clear that Arc’s retirement is permanent, marking the end of a browser that sought to rethink how people organise and navigate the internet.