I’ve always stuck with the most basic web browsers. Safari is my primary browser of choice on macOS, while Chrome typically handles my Windows 11 computing. I haven’t bothered to change the primary browsers on iOS or Android, either. Test runs with Firefox, Brave, Microsoft Edge, and Samsung Internet have been fine, but the alternative browsers never stuck. After years, I’ve finally found a browser that pulls the best of Safari and Chrome while delivering excellent productivity features.
Ironically, that browser is Arc — which is no longer being actively developed by The Browser Company. It’s pivoting to AI-equipped browsers starting with Dia, but that’s an even better reason for me to switch to Arc now. Since the AI features The Browser Company is dumping into Dia won’t come to Arc, I can keep using the browser I find most productive without having to worry about it suddenly changing. I’ve ditched both Chrome and Safari for Arc, and I’m not going back anytime soon.
Arc’s tab organization and cross-platform sync won me over
I love Safari’s iCloud Tabs feature, but I need it on Android and Windows
Although I’ve religiously used Chrome and Safari for years, each browser is far from perfect. I rely on Safari’s iCloud Tabs tool for seamless cloud syncing of current tabs and browsing activity, but lose my open tabs when I switch to an Android or Windows device. On the flip side, Chrome is cross-platform, but it’s memory-intensive and filled with tracking and data collection. That’s how I ended up using Safari whenever possible and Chrome on non-Apple devices.
The setup left me wanting more. I craved a browser with the organization and cloud sync of Safari plus the reliability and compatibility of Chrome packaged into a single app. Meanwhile, I started losing webpages and slowing down as a result of horizontal tabs — with too many sites open, it’s impossible to see which page is which. That led me to start my search for a new browser by looking for one built around vertical tabs, and I stumbled upon Arc.
Arc instantly met two of my critical requirements by supporting vertical tabs and cross-platform sync. The app is available on macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android. The mobile version of Arc misses out on a few of the features that make it great, but both the macOS and Windows 11 versions keep the necessities consistent. Mac users get the most fully-featured version of Arc, although I don’t feel like I’m missing out when I use it on a Windows PC.
Arc’s cloud syncing features are better than Safari’s Cloud Tabs, because the Arc Sync tool keeps spaces, folders, and tabs available in the sidebar on any platform. Spaces and folders help you organize your tabs in separate environments. I have separate spaces for work and personal browsing, and keep essential tabs pinned in their own section of the sidebar. The tabs you always want to keep in a space are siloed from temporary tabs, which I find to be a lifesaver for productivity. I can quickly close out all the miscellaneous searches I make in the process of researching or writing using the sidebar while keeping my pinned tabs intact.
You can further organize pinned tabs into folders to clean things up. As Arc explains, pinned tabs operate somewhat like apps and bookmarks. They’re designed to keep you in one place, with opened links appearing as previews rather than opening new tabs by default. Additionally, you can hover over a pinned tab in the sidebar to return to the specific subpage you saved, like a bookmark. For example, if I pin an article on MakeUseOf, I can quickly go back to it by hitting the back button in the sidebar — even if I click around and view other articles.
The robust organization available for spaces, tabs, and folders puts Arc above Safari in my book. Since these are synced across all Arc platforms, I can switch from my iPhone and Android phone to my Mac and Windows laptop without missing a beat. The vertical sidebar also ensures I’ll always be able to see the full list of open tabs, even when I’m using way more than I probably should.
Split views and link previews just feel right in Arc
These tools save me time without forcing me to study commands
It helps that Arc is a visually clean browser, putting it closer to Safari than Chrome in terms of design. The app stays out of the way, showing an immersive view that puts web content first. The tab sidebar can be hidden, and the toolbar is incredibly compact. Crucial buttons in the Arc sidebar help you go forward or back, reload, copy URL, manage site settings, and control split view arrangements.
When you work out of a pinned tab, links open as previews called “peeks” by default. For instance, if you’re viewing an article on MakeUseOf in a pinned tab and want to check out some of the other stories we’ve linked to, you can click the link and Arc will open it as a peek. It offers a glimpse of another webpage without taking you away from the pinned tab you’re currently using. You can browse this page within a peek as long as you want in this self-contained environment. Then, you can close the site, open a split screen view, or open it as a new tab depending on the situation.
What’s incredible about using peeks and split screen views in Arc is that they feel so intuitive, the learning curve is quickly overcome. Think about it — if a site is central enough to your workflow that you’ve pinned it to a space, you probably don’t want to leave it. In my case, I can preview this very article in an Arc peek without needing to leave the text editor. When I’m sure everything looks good, closing the peek puts me right back onto the webpage I was using before. I didn’t have to learn to use peeks or split views in Arc. They started saving me time immediately.
Speaking of split views, Arc handles them seamlessly from the toolbar. You can click the split view icon from any tab to add another tab beside it, above it, or below it. The compact nature of Arc means using two sites at once is actually viable, thanks to the minimized tab sidebar and tiny address bar.
I tried the Arc Browser’s supposed successor, and it’s not even close
Is this really what Arc died for?
I don’t care that Arc is discontinued
As long as it continues working and remains secure, I’m content
It’s true that The Browser Company isn’t planning to add new features or fix bugs for Arc moving forward, as it’s all-in on Dia. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t use Arc in 2026. The Browser Company is still updating Arc with security fixes. Arc is built on the Chromium engine — the same one that powers Chrome and Edge — and this helps the browser stay secure. As long as Arc is still receiving security updates, you can still use it, and you shouldn’t be deterred by the lack of new features or changes.
In fact, for many, Arc’s “discontinuation” might actually be a good thing. One of the reasons Arc never really went mainstream is that the browser came with a steep learning curve, and its developers frequently added, removed, and changed features. With this version of Arc, what you see is what you get. If you’re like me and enjoy Arc’s productivity and organizational features in their present state, you can confidently expect them to remain familiar over time. The lack of new AI-powered tricks in Arc is a feature, not a bug, for my personal needs.
Until the day Arc breaks or suffers from security vulnerabilities, I’m sticking with it over Chrome and Safari. It checked all my boxes for a perfect web browser, providing intuitive browsing features with excellent cross-platform support.
- OS
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macOS, Windows, Android, iOS
- Developer
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The Browser Company
- Cost
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Free
Arc is a productivity-focused browser available across macOS, Windows, Android, and iOS. It features vertical tabs with excellent organization tools and cross-platform sync. There are handy tricks like link peeking and pinned tabs that save you time. Plus, it’s free.
