Arc’s shutdown dates are set: what users need to save before December 2026

Arc users have a firm deadline to move on: The Browser Company says the browser will stop working on macOS and Windows on 22 December 2026. Accounts will be deactivated that day, and personal data will be deleted within 30 days. For anyone who has built a daily routine around Arc’s tabs, workspaces and synced devices, the practical task is to find a replacement and make sure important browser data can move with them.

The shutdown follows a long period in which Arc received maintenance but few new features. The Browser Company shifted its attention to Dia, a separate browser that has since gained some Arc features. That leaves users with a choice: try Dia, move to another browser, or spend time testing options before Arc’s deadline arrives.

Arc Will Change the Way You Work on the Web, 1 May 2023, described why the browser attracted users despite not reaching mass acceptance. The change of focus toward Dia was covered in Dia Browser Debuts with Contextual AI Chat, But Arc Users Feel Left Behind, 20 June 2025. At the time, the company’s CEO said Arc wasn’t being shut down and expressed hope that it would find a future “just as considered as its past.” Since Dia’s release, however, Arc has largely remained in maintenance mode, receiving Chromium updates without substantial new development.

Three dates to put on the calendar

The transition happens in stages, so Arc users should pay attention to more than the final cutoff. The first date is 22 October: new Arc accounts can no longer be created. After updating to the latest version, existing users can export pinned tabs and favorites through Arc > Settings > Advanced > Export Data.

Exporting the file preserves data, but it doesn’t guarantee that another browser can use it. The source article says it remains unclear whether competing browsers will import the format usefully. That makes it sensible to test an export with a prospective replacement before relying on it as the only copy of an Arc setup. Users with large collections of pinned pages may also want to check that the export includes the items they expect.

On 23 November, Browse for Me and the other AI features in the iOS Arc Search app will be disabled. The app will continue to work as a browser, but sign-in and tab syncing will end. For people who use Arc Search to keep their iPhone browsing connected to desktop workspaces, that change removes a key part of the experience even before the desktop browser stops working.

The final cutoff comes on 22 December. The Browser Company says users will no longer be able to access or use Arc on macOS or Windows. The source does not explain the technical details behind that restriction, so users shouldn’t assume that an installed copy will remain usable offline. Arc accounts will be deactivated on the same date, with personal data deleted within 30 days.

The company’s acquisition by Atlassian in 2025 briefly raised hopes that Arc might receive renewed support, but the browser stayed in maintenance mode. The acquisition was covered in Atlassian Acquires The Browser Company for $610 Million, 4 September 2025. For users planning a switch, the relevant question now is less what Arc might become and more which replacement can support the parts of their workflow they actually use.

Choosing a browser that fits an Arc workflow

Dia is the most direct option for users who want to stay with The Browser Company. The company has brought many Arc features to Dia, and the writer reports that its improved import tools made it feel similar enough for everyday use. Dia still lacks some Arc capabilities, including nested tab groups, which the writer identifies as a significant irritation. Whether it suits an individual user will depend on which parts of Arc’s organization and navigation tools are essential.

Other browsers mentioned as Arc alternatives include Zen, which deliberately resembles Arc in several ways, and Vivaldi, which offers a large set of features. The list also includes Brave, Floorp, Orion, Ortix and SigmaOS. These are options to investigate, not a claim that every browser matches Arc’s tools or supports the same imports.

The most useful comparison starts with the habits Arc made convenient. A vertical sidebar keeps a crowded tab list manageable for users who find top-mounted tabs hard to scan. Persistent pinned tabs let frequently used pages stay available, while preserving a specific page even after navigating elsewhere within the same site. Nested groups add another layer of organization for people who sort pinned tabs into projects or topics.

Navigation speed matters too. Arc’s tab switcher, opened with Control-Tab, lets users move between pages without hunting through the sidebar. Split view puts two tabs side by side, which can help when writing against a reference page or comparing information. A replacement that offers tabs but lacks these tools may still work, but it could change how many steps common tasks take.

For people who use several Macs, workspace syncing is another key feature: it keeps pinned tabs and their organization available across devices. Arc’s iOS version extends that setup to iPhone, with the source also pointing to iPad use. Anyone evaluating alternatives should check which devices sync, what gets synced, and whether the arrangement survives signing in on a second device.

One smaller feature can also affect daily use: Little Arc opens a link from another app in a separate window. That lets someone read a page from an email and close it without adding another tab to the main browser. It’s a narrow use case, but one that can keep a busy tab list from growing with one-off links.

Arc’s shutdown gives users time to compare browsers, export their data and test how well a new setup handles their actual work. The best choice will depend less on a browser’s feature count than on whether it can preserve the habits—tab organization, quick switching, split views and device syncing—that made Arc useful in the first place.