Arc Browser, a Chromium-based browser, is now available for Windows. The browser was previously available as a waitlist-restricted beta version. If you added your name to the waitlist, but never received an invite, now is your chance to give it a try.
What you need to know about Arc Browser
Arc Browser is only available for Windows 11. You cannot install it on Windows 10 or any other version of Windows.
It is also not a browser that you install and run right away. The developers have added several mandatory steps to the setup process.
First, you are required to create an account. There is no option to skip this step. While that is okay for users who want to use the built-in sync functionality, it may feel invasive for users who have no such plans.
Second, you need to select a browser to import data from. There is no option to skip this step either.
Third, Arc Browser is based on Chromium. This means that you can install Chrome extensions and get good web compatibility. Downside is that you also get any negative feature that Google implements in Chromium.
The privacy policy reveals that Arc may use the email address to contact users. There you also discover that the browser collects product usage data automatically.
The browser itself
Arc Browser's interface looks different when compared to most browsers. Tabs are on the side. You find tab groups there as well, which are placed inside folders that you can collapse and expand.
The main toolbar is slim. The left side has buttons to open the browser menu and toggle the visibility of the sidebar.
The center area shows just the domain name of the site by default. Even subdomains, e.g., www, are not shown. This is a questionable design choice, as there is plenty of space available to show the full URL there. To see it, it is necessary to click on the domain.
Arc Browser has back, forward, and reload buttons, a button to copy the URL to the Clipboard, and a button to access site data.
Here you find the list of extensions that run on the current page. Not all extension icons are shown on the browser's main toolbar by default. A click on an extension icon opens its settings or menu.
The browser comes with uBlock Origin preinstalled. It is a highly regarded content blocker. It can be removed, if you do not want to use it.
Arc Browser supports a number of interesting features. Here is a quick overview:
- Note taking and whiteboard (called Easel) support.
- Boosts feature to create custom themes for websites, e.g., changing the font or colors.
- Mini player to play audio and video in a small floating window.
- Preview feature to preview content of select services such as Gmail, Outlook, or GitHub.
You can check out Ashwin's review of the Mac version of Arc Browser for additional details.
Verdict
Arc Browser is a hyped browser that is finally available for Windows 11. This is great news for users who use it on other devices already, and for users who want to give it a try.
Not all users may like the mandatory creation of an account or imports from other browsers. Some may close setup at this step.
Tab management takes some time to getting used to. While vertical tabs are nothing new, Arc browser separates tabs into favorites, spaces, and open tabs. You can, in theory, remove all favorites and spaces to end up with a single vertical tab bar for all tabs.
There is also the question about revenue. How is the Browser Company going to make money to finance development and other expenses? It is still unclear at this point.
The CEO of Arc highlighted some of the options in a video posted over a year ago on YouTube. There, he mentioned Arc for Teams, Boosts, and a potential store to sell these customizations.
What about you? Have you tried Arc Browser before or do you plan to?
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