The Browser Company will retire its Arc browser on December 22, 2026, ending a run that made it a favorite of design-minded users but never turned it into a mainstream rival to Chrome. The company confirmed the move on Thursday, saying the rising cost of keeping a browser secure in the age of AI forced a hard choice: focus engineering and security teams on Dia, its AI-first browser.
In a statement, the company said keeping a browser secure "takes constant, dedicated work that is only increasing in the age of AI," and that Dia was built from scratch to meet today's security standards. The wind-down is staged over three dates, and by the end of it Arc accounts will be deactivated and personal data deleted within 30 days after shutdown.
Arc shutdown timeline: key dates for Arc users
The Browser Company has published a clear schedule so users know exactly what stops working and when. New sign-ups ended on Thursday, giving newcomers no reason to start on Arc.
A month later, the mobile version loses its AI layer. After that, the December date is final for desktop users on Mac and Windows, and the Android app disappears from Google Play.
- October 22, 2026: New Arc accounts can no longer be created.
- November 23, 2026: Arc Search on iOS and Android loses its AI features, including "Browse for Me"; sign-in and tab sync stop working, though the app keeps running as a basic local browser.
- December 22, 2026: Arc stops working entirely on Mac and Windows; accounts are deactivated; personal data is deleted within 30 days; Arc Search is pulled from the Google Play Store.
