Arc isn’t perfect, and it takes some getting used to. But it’s full of big new ideas about how we should interact with the web — and it’s right about most of them.
The Browser Company’s Arc, which has been described as an attempt to be “the web’s operating system,” is getting a companion app for iPhones on March 30th. However, according to Josh Miller, the CEO of The Browser Company, the app is not intended to replace users’ default mobile browser yet. Instead, it serves as a companion app that allows users to access some of the features they’ve grown accustomed to on the desktop version.
Switching to the Arc browser is hard. You should know that right up front. It’s not that it’s technically difficult: Arc has some simple tools for importing bookmarks, it runs the same underlying engine as Chrome, and the onboarding process is actually thoroughly delightful. It’s just that Arc, the new browser from a startup called The Browser Company, is such a divergent idea about how browsers should work that it takes some time, and some real effort, to get used to.
The iOS browser will synchronize desktop tabs and Spaces (groups of tabs, user accounts, and pinned sites), and users can view their whiteboard-esque Easels and notes. Additionally, they will be able to save links to Arc to read later. However, the app’s release may not be very useful for people who are not already Arc users. According to Ellis Hamburger, a spokesperson for The Browser Company and Verge alumni, users need to set up Arc on a Mac before using the iPhone app. Furthermore, the Mac version is only available via waitlist or invite from an Arc user, and there is currently no iPad version available.
While Arc has a unique vision for how to use the internet, it may be challenging to translate that vision smoothly to phones. Although it makes sense for The Browser Company to start with a companion app rather than a full-fledged browser, it may be disappointing for those who want to use Arc on all of their devices. Nonetheless, the release of the iPhone companion app is a step in the right direction for The Browser Company and Arc.
