Arc browser shuts down December 22 as The Browser Company shifts focus to Dia
Arc users must move to Dia, which keeps most of Arc's core ideas, before their accounts and personal data are deleted.
The Browser Company is shutting down Arc on December 22, 2026, and steering its users to Dia, the AI-first browser it now prioritises. The decision, announced Thursday, rests on the growing cost of keeping a browser secure as AI spreads, and the company says Dia was built to current security standards from the start. The wind-down runs in stages: new Arc accounts stopped being created immediately, Arc Search loses its AI features on November 23, and Arc stops working on Mac and Windows on December 22, with accounts deactivated and personal data deleted within 30 days. Dia keeps the main Arc ideas, with Profiles replacing Spaces, vertical tabs still available as an optional sidebar, and Folders renamed Pinned Tab Groups, while passwords, bookmarks, extensions and history move across. Arc was never open-sourced because its underlying engine, the Arc Development Kit, also powers Dia and is proprietary.
Why it matters
The shutdown shows how the cost of keeping a browser secure is rising as AI spreads, pushing one company to consolidate on a single product. For people who used Arc, it means their browser stops working on Mac and Windows on December 22, with data removed within 30 days, so the move to Dia is not optional. Because Arc was never open-sourced and its engine also powers Dia, users have no independent version of the browser to fall back on.
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Sources
- TechCrunch