What is Arc Browser
Arc Browser, by The Browser Company, aims to redefine the web browsing experience. It’s built on the premise of not just meeting user needs but anticipating them. The browser boasts a clean and calm interface, allowing users to organize their online activities—work, study, hobbies—into one seamless window with Spaces and Profiles. Privacy and security are at its core, with a promise of no tracking of sites visited or searches made.7
Arc Browser for Windows
Arc Browser Windows (Beta)
Arc Browswer for Windows is still in the beta phase, early adopters and tech enthusiasts are keenly watching its development. This review dives deep into what Arc Browser offers, its unique features, and how it stands against competitors, drawing on firsthand experiences and updates from Arc’s official resources.
When I first learned about Arc and The Browser Company, I was thrilled. For too long, no one had challenged Google Chrome’s dominance with an effort to create an intuitive, private, and feature-rich browsing experience.
Unfortunately, like many new startups, Arc was initially available only on Mac. For months, I lingered on their Windows waitlist, but finally, I received the following email with my invitation:
Even though it was evening, I immediately rushed to my computer to install Arc for Windows.
Testing Arc Browser for Windows
Installing Arc Browser was a straightforward process, and their onboarding system effectively guided me through the initial setup. This seamless introduction was a refreshing start.
What I particularly appreciate about Arc Browser is its sidebar, which provides a more focused approach to work compared to Chrome’s traditional top bar. This design choice not only optimizes screen real estate but also enhances workflow efficiency, allowing for a more organized and less cluttered browsing experience. The sidebar’s intuitive layout makes it easier to manage tabs and access essential tools, contributing to a more productive and enjoyable online session.
Arc Extensions
A significant advantage of Arc Browser is its compatibility with the Chrome Web Store, allowing users to access a wide array of extensions that enhance the browsing experience. However, there’s a unique aspect to how Arc handles these extensions: instead of integrating them directly into the browser interface, all extensions open in new windows. This approach can make it challenging to find and manage extensions efficiently.
While this design choice supports a cleaner and more streamlined browser interface, it may require users to adapt their workflow to manage their extensions effectively. This could involve additional steps to switch between the main browser window and the extensions, potentially impacting productivity until users become accustomed to the new system. Despite this, the ability to use Chrome extensions within Arc Browser remains a valuable feature, bridging the gap between Chrome’s extensive ecosystem and Arc’s innovative browsing experience.
Arc Browser Extensions
Pin Extensions
The capability to pin extensions in Arc Browser provides a tailored browsing experience by allowing users to quickly access their most used tools. However, this feature is somewhat hidden, making it challenging to discover for new users. To pin an extension, you need to navigate to the settings of each specific website. Once found, clicking on “pin” will place the extension at the top left of your browser interface.
Develop Tools
You also have Developer Tools like you have in Chrome, however you pin the console to the bottom, as it opens in a new window.
Pros Arc Browser Windows
- Arc Sync: A new sidebar sync feature that doesn’t rely on iCloud, allowing access to sidebar tabs across devices.
- Tidy Tabs: An organizational feature that automatically sorts your Today Tabs for a cleaner sidebar.
- Instant Links: A quicker browsing feature, enabling users to open top search results instantly without going through a search engine first.
- Enhanced Google Meet Integration: Users can now share tabs directly in GMeet, even if not actively selected.
- Archived Tabs: When you close a tab, it first goes to an Archived folder.
Cons Arc Browser Windows (Feedback)
I love the Arc Windows Browser, but still have some feedback for the Arc Team:
- Freeze: To many times the browser is freezing some seconds, sometimes you have to restart the browser to continue.
- Loading: When you load a website of refresh, there is no spinning wheel to let you know.
- Refresh Website: Their is no refresh or reload button when you want to reload a website.
- Settings: There are not much settings, but of course it is still beta.
- Resize Split Screens: It would be nice if you can one of the two split screens.
- Active Tabs: It is hard to see which tabs are active, so you can close them to save recources.
- Tool tips: When you hover over a button, it not always shows what it does, would be nice to help users more explaining what every button does.
Arc Browser Windows Alternatives
Arc’s emphasis on privacy, customization, and organizational features positions it as a strong competitor to Chrome and other mainstream browsers. While still in its early stages on Windows, its unique offerings like Spaces, Profiles, and privacy-focused design could attract users looking for an alternative to the data-centric models of other browsers.
Arc Windows Browser: Overall Score: 6/10
Arc Browser for Windows, is still in beta, but promises a revolutionary approach to web browsing.
I love their focus on privacy, efficiency and features users actually needed, but my 6/10 score is based as it still in beta and still needs a lot of work, to make it the best browser on earth.
I will keep follow their changelog, and who know they do something with my feedback, you can find the changelog here: https://browserinc.notion.site/browserinc/Arc-on-Windows-Beta-Release-Notes-aae2a75b3f7840148b3c6430d9ae5839
