Arc, the experimental browser from The Browser Company, now has an end date. The company says Arc for macOS and Windows will stop working on December 22, 2026, with Arc accounts deactivated the same day.
Arc’s shutdown timeline
The Browser Company published the shutdown schedule on the Arc website, framing Dia as Arc’s replacement and giving existing users roughly two months to move their browser data.
October 22, 2026: New Arc accounts can no longer be created. Existing Arc members can continue using the desktop browser for now, and the latest Arc version adds export options and an easier import path into Dia.
November 23, 2026: Arc Search on iOS and Android will lose Browse for Me and other AI features. Sign-in and tab sync will also stop working on mobile.
December 22, 2026: Arc for macOS and Windows will no longer be accessible or usable. Arc accounts will be deactivated. The Browser Company says Arc Search for Android will be fully deprecated and removed from the Google Play Store and devices where it is installed.
Arc Search on iOS is expected to continue as a lighter mobile browser after the AI and sync features are turned off, according to the company’s timeline.
The data deadline matters more than the app deadline
The Browser Company says Arc accounts will be deactivated on December 22, 2026. Once an account is deactivated, personal data related to that account will be deleted within 30 days. The company also says that after December 22, it will no longer be able to identify or retrieve Arc user data for data requests.
That makes December 22 the practical deadline for exporting or importing anything important from Arc. For people who used Spaces, Pinned Tabs, Folders, or tab groups as part of a work setup, the issue is not just switching browsers. It is preserving the structure that Arc stored around browsing.
Dia is the intended replacement
The Browser Company is steering Arc users toward Dia, its newer browser for macOS and Windows. The company says Dia can import Arc passwords, bookmarks, extensions, history, tabs, Spaces, Folders, and Pinned Tabs.
Some Arc concepts are being renamed in Dia. Spaces become Profiles, while Folders become Tab Groups. Dia also supports sidebar tabs and Split View, both familiar to Arc users. The company says Arc’s browser features are free in Dia and that Dia’s AI features are optional.
Still, Dia is not being positioned as a standard Arc update. It is the company’s newer product, built around its AI browser strategy. On Dia’s website, the browser is described as a work-focused product that can pull context from tabs and connected tools.
Why Arc lost the product argument
The shutdown follows a pivot The Browser Company had already explained in 2025. In a May 2025 letter to Arc members, CEO Josh Miller wrote that the company was no longer actively developing Arc’s core product experience, even though it was still maintaining the browser at the time.
Miller said Arc had a “novelty tax” problem: some users loved the browser, but the product was too different for many people to adopt. The letter also cited internal usage figures showing that some hallmark Arc features were not broadly used. According to the company, only 5.52% of daily active users used more than one Space regularly, and 4.17% used Live Folders, including GitHub Live Folders.
At the time, The Browser Company said it was not trying to shut Arc down. The October 2026 announcement changes that. Arc now has a final date, and the company’s engineering and security focus is moving to Dia.
How Arc data can be moved before December 22
Arc users have two main paths before the shutdown date: import into Dia or export data for use elsewhere.
Moving to Dia: The company says Dia can import Arc data during sign-up. Existing Dia users can also import from Arc later through Dia’s import menu on macOS or Windows.
Moving to another browser: Arc users can save tabs as a list of links before December 22. On macOS, the path is Arc > Settings > Advanced > Export Data. On Windows, the export option is in Arc settings under Advanced as Export Spaces and tabs.
Mobile tabs: Arc Search on iOS and Android includes export options for open tabs from the app’s settings.
The company says users moving to Dia do not need to export first, because Dia can bring Arc data over directly.
If The Browser Company changes export steps, mobile behavior, or support windows, the Arc website and Help Center are the primary places to check.
Atlassian’s role adds context
The shutdown also lands after Atlassian moved to acquire The Browser Company. In September 2025, Atlassian announced a definitive agreement to acquire the company behind Dia and Arc for approximately $610 million. Atlassian framed the deal around building an AI browser for knowledge work.
An Atlassian SEC filing later said the company acquired 100% of The Browser Company of New York on October 20, 2025, also describing it as the company behind Dia and Arc.
The public strategy is now focused on Dia as the browser product for work and AI features, while Arc is being wound down rather than kept as a parallel product.
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