Arc browser stops working on 22 December; its makers want users on their AI browser

The Browser Company will shut down its Arc browser on 22 December 2026. It announced the timeline on arc.net on 22 October, and The Register and heise reported it the next day. New Arc accounts can no longer be created. On 23 November the AI features in the iOS and Android apps are switched off, and sign-in and tab sync stop. On 22 December Arc for macOS and Windows stops working, accounts are deactivated, and personal data is deleted within 30 days. The latest version adds an option to export all data.

The company, owned by Atlassian since 2025, wants Arc users to move to Dia, its AI browser. It gives security as the reason: keeping a browser secure takes constant work, and its engineers will focus on Dia. Arc’s Spaces, folders and pinned tabs import into Dia, where Spaces become profiles and folders become tab groups.

For readers who would rather move to a European browser, Vivaldi from Norway is the closest to Arc’s way of working. Its tab bar can sit on the side of the window, Workspaces group tabs by topic in one window, Tab Tiling puts several pages side by side, pinned tabs stay at the top of the list, and Quick Commands works as a command bar. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, with end-to-end encrypted sync. Vivaldi’s import help does not list Arc as a source, so Spaces and folders will need rebuilding by hand.

Zen Browser, a Firefox-based project that copies much of Arc’s layout and merged an Arc importer on 24 October, is not listed here. Its website names no company and publishes no terms of service or imprint, so there is no legal entity to assess.