The Browser Company to shut down Arc on December 22, steering users to Dia
The Browser Company will fully shut down its Arc browser on December 22, 2026, and direct users to its AI-focused browser Dia. It cites the growing cost of keeping a browser secure in the age of AI.
The Browser Company, the developer behind the design-focused Arc web browser, announced on Thursday that it will stop running Arc on December 22, 2026. Users are being pointed to Dia, the company's AI-first browser. The company says keeping a browser secure requires constant, dedicated work that is growing in the age of AI, and that Dia was built from scratch to meet current security standards, so its engineering and security teams will concentrate there.
Three stages
The wind-down is phased. From Thursday, new Arc accounts can no longer be created. On November 23, the mobile app Arc Search on iOS and Android will lose its AI features, including "Browse for Me." Sign-in and tab syncing will end, though the app will keep working as a basic local browser. On December 22, Arc will stop working completely 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.
User reaction
The company says Dia now outperforms Arc in speed, stability and security benchmarks. Reactions on social media were largely disappointed, and many people renewed calls for Arc to be open-sourced. CEO Josh Miller has previously said Arc is built on the Arc Development Kit (ADK), a proprietary internal SDK that also powers Dia. Open-sourcing Arc in a meaningful way would require releasing ADK too, which he said remains core to the company's value.
What carries over to Dia
Dia will include equivalents of several Arc features. Switching between work and personal environments is handled by "Profiles," formerly Arc's Spaces. Vertical tabs stay as an optional sidebar layout, and Folders have been renamed "Pinned Tab Groups." Passwords, bookmarks, extensions and history will transfer. Arc features remain free in Dia, with AI optional.
The company stopped active feature development on Arc in 2025. It acknowledged then that although early adopters liked the novel interface, its complexity limited mainstream adoption. Software maker Atlassian acquired The Browser Company for $610 million in 2025.
