The Browser Company announced Thursday that it will discontinue its design‑focused Arc browser on December 22, 2026, and encourage users to transition to Dia, the firm’s new AI‑first browser. The decision was attributed to the escalating costs of maintaining browser security in an era dominated by artificial intelligence. “Keeping a browser secure takes constant, dedicated work that is only increasing in the age of AI,” the company wrote. “Dia was built from the ground up to meet today’s security standards, so that’s where our engineering and security teams will focus moving forward.”
The shutdown will unfold in three stages. Effective immediately, no new Arc accounts can be created. On November 23, the Arc Search feature on iOS and Android will lose its AI capabilities, including the “Browse for Me” function, and users will no longer be able to sign in or sync tabs, although the app will continue to operate as a basic local browser. On December 22, Arc will cease functioning entirely on macOS and Windows; accounts will be deactivated and personal data erased within 30 days. Arc Search will also be removed from the Google Play Store.
The Browser Company claims that Dia now exceeds Arc in speed, stability and security benchmarks. Social‑media reaction has been largely disappointed, with many users urging the company to make Arc open source. CEO Josh Miller noted that Arc is built on the Arc Development Kit (ADK), a proprietary internal SDK that also powers Dia. Open‑sourcing Arc, he explained, would require releasing ADK and would therefore hand over Dia’s core intellectual property. “While we’d love to open‑source Arc someday, we can’t do that meaningfully without also open‑sourcing ADK,” Miller said. “And ADK is still core to our company’s value.”
For users moving to Dia, several familiar Arc features will be retained. The ability to swipe between work and personal environments will continue under Dia’s “Profiles,” formerly known as Arc’s “Spaces.” Arc’s signature vertical tabs will be available as an optional sidebar layout, and “Folders” have been renamed “Pinned Tab Groups.” Passwords, bookmarks, extensions and browsing history will migrate automatically, and all Arc features will remain free in Dia, with AI functionality offered as an optional add‑on.
The phase‑out marks the end of a chapter that began in 2025, when The Browser Company halted active feature development on Arc. The firm was acquired by Atlassian for $610 million that same year and acknowledged that, while early adopters praised Arc’s novel interface, the “novelty tax” and complexity limited broader adoption. Arc retained a passionate niche following but never achieved the mass‑market status its creators had hoped for.
— Aditya Mehta, TechCrunch editorial fellow.