The Windows 11 version of the Arc browser has been available since April 30th generally available for download. Until now, only the macOS and iOS versions could be freely downloaded. Anyone who wanted to test the Windows version had to register on a waiting list for the closed beta.
The wait for the author of this article took around three months; it was only activated for the Windows version a few days ago. The developers don’t want to support Windows 10 until later.
More than just a browser?
There has been a real hype around Arc in the last few months. The alternative browser is developed by the start-up The Browser Company and is called “Operating system for the Internet“. The technical basis is Chromium and the Swift programming language developed by Apple, which, among other things, delayed the adaptation to Windows.
Arc supports extensions for Chrome. uBlock Origin is already preinstalled. The default search is Google, but can be changed via the browser settings to, for example, Duckduckgo.
Tab organization in Spaces
The biggest difference to conventional browsers are the so-called spaces. Users can create several of these spaces and give them names such as work, project XYZ or free time. Each space can be given a different color to make them easier to distinguish.
Most of the organization is also done in a hideable vertical bar. Arc also displays the tabs in this bar. They can be assigned to individual spaces, which makes it easier to keep an overview and is one of the core functions of the browser. Important tabs can also be pinned so that they are permanently at the top of the left bar. Icons for Gmail and Google Calendar have already been pinned by the developers.
In addition, Arc can display multiple tabs side by side in Split View, supports both light and dark modes, and offers various keyboard shortcuts to make using the browser faster. Arc automatically moves open tabs to an archive after 12 hours up to 30 days, from where they can be reopened later.
Bugs and missing features
Compared to the macOS version, the new Windows version is still lagging behind. For example, the announced easels on which users can place images, notes and hints freehand cannot yet be found.
Little Arc, a function for quickly opening links in a pop-up window instead of in another tab, is also not yet included. However, the developers have retained one special feature from the closed beta: Arc can only be used after registering an account. However, there are no costs for this.
The current build number of the Windows version is 1.0.1.24682. This means that the developers may promise more than they can deliver. Some of the missing functions have already been mentioned. In the Arc subreddit Several users also report errors and crashes that occur.
This is what the_john19 writesthat Arc “not yet ready to be called a stable release”. He experienced random crashes, and the command bar that could be displayed sometimes didn’t show any options. The current Windows version is therefore “clearly not finished yet”. It also has fewer functions than the macOS version.