Meet Arc, the new browser that’s ready to take on Chrome, Edge on Windows
Meet Arc, the new browser that’s ready to take on Chrome, Edge on Windows
It may have been the hipsters’ choice but now Arc is ready to go fully mainstream as it announced its arrival on Windows. The browser arena is dominated by Google Chrome. Microsoft Edge has been attempting to make a dent. Mac users stick to Safari but levitate towards Chrome as well. Mozilla Firefox is around and appreciated but its share on PCs remains low. Perhaps there is a need for another browser to rival Chrome and Edge. Developed by The Browser Company, Arc promises to be that browser with its user-friendly experience that is all about speed, privacy and a different design.
As someone who has used Arc browser on a MacBook Air for the last 10 months, I can say that Arc has what it takes to be a solid alternative. The first choice? Let’s just say that it grows on you.
Arc leverages the Chromium engine, the same foundation powering Chrome and Edge, among other popular browsers. What Chromium does is that it ensures extensions and most websites work on Arc without any trouble. Where the Browser Company adopts a different approach is that it uses Apple’s Swift programming language. Apple, naturally swears by Swift and Arc utilises it really well for a smooth user experience.
How is it to use Arc?
For starters, you will see a really neat and intuitive interface. Most users prefer Chrome as it has become the ‘comfortable’ choice and is clean — something that Microsoft Edge comparatively isn’t. Perhaps that’s why Chrome dominates the market. According to data posted by Similar Web, Chrome — on desktop — had close to 67% share, followed by Edge which had 14% of the market.
Arc has a different design as the clutter is really minimum. It does a fine job in maximising screen real estate and focuses on the web content. One can easily group tabs and there’s a built-in reader mode as well for distraction-free reading.
A feature that stands out on Arc is the sidebar, which replaces the traditional bookmarks bar, offering quick access to your most visited sites, recently closed tabs, and reading list. The side bar adapts to your browsing habits, making it a dynamic tool for efficient navigation — it is a feature that I have learned to appreciate the most on Arc. Microsoft Edge also offers vertical tabs but Arc has quite a few options to pin your favourites and even create temporary tabs. The split view feature works really well and makes multitasking easier but that’s now on almost every browser.
The Peek feature is really nice and convenient to preview links without leaving the pinned tab. You just have to click on the new link from a favourited tab and the Peek mode gets activated without opening a new tab.
What you can also do in the sidebar is not just add tabs but add apps as well.
Another standout feature is Spaces, which allows you to customise the browsing experience. You can create multiple spaces and can customise them with different tabs and even different colour sidebars.
As much as Google might tout privacy, that is certainly not Chrome’s biggest strength. Apple’s Safari, yes. But Chrome? Not really. Arc has a strong tracking protection mechanism which can block third-party trackers — no wonder they launched first on Mac and was appreciated by many Mac loyalists.
Arc launched on Mac in 2022 and the focus on privacy and speed is why it is a hit with many Mac users.
The Windows version is available for download and initially some features might be missing. Currently, it is only available for Windows 11 but compatibility with Windows 10 is in the works.
Should you download it?
Challenging the dominance of Chrome is a gargantuan task for any browser and more so for Arc. Like any other new user interface — and this is a browser we are talking about here — it takes time to get used to. There will be initial hiccups and you might wonder ‘What on earth is going on here’ but getting past it is easy. Arc may carve a niche for itself to begin with and we do know many Windows users have been waiting for it. The company claims that there were a million people on the waitlist. Not all will download it and not many who do would take to Arc initially. But Arc is certainly a browser that you must try — if not for anything else then it would be a nice break from using Chrome or Edge as Arc might just leave a mark.