The Browser Company sets December 22 shutdown for Arc, directing users to Dia

Arc users have two months to move before their desktop browser stops working. The Browser Company set December 22, 2026, as Arc’s shutdown date, with accounts to be deactivated and personal data deleted within 30 days. It is steering users toward Dia, where it says familiar browser features remain free and AI is optional.

The October 22 announcement turns an earlier retreat from Arc development into a firm end date. Active feature development stopped in 2025; now the company is ending access to the desktop product itself. As TechCrunch details, the shutdown also reaches Arc Search on phones, though the mobile app will retain some basic browsing functions.

The company’s stated reason is security. It says keeping a browser secure requires constant work, with that burden growing in the age of AI. Its engineering and security teams will focus on Dia, which it says was built to meet today’s security standards.

The November change removes Browse for Me, one of Arc Search’s AI features. The app will continue as a basic local browser. That makes the mobile wind-down different from the complete desktop shutdown scheduled for December.

The Browser Company is presenting Dia as a place to keep much of an existing Arc setup. According to the company’s announcement quoted by 9to5Mac, Spaces, Folders and Tab Groups can move with user data intact.

• Saved information: the company says passwords, bookmarks, extensions and browsing history transfer to Dia.
• Separate browsing environments: Dia’s Profiles take the role of Arc’s Spaces, letting users switch between work and personal setups.
• Tab organization: vertical tabs remain available as an optional sidebar layout, while Folders become Pinned Tab Groups.

Moving to the company’s AI-first browser does not, by its account, require using AI. It says the browser features Arc users rely on are free in Dia. It also claims Dia now exceeds Arc on speed, stability and security benchmarks. Those comparisons are company claims, not independent test results.

Disappointed users have renewed calls for Arc to become open-source, TechCrunch reports. CEO Josh Miller previously said Arc relies on the proprietary Arc Development Kit, or ADK, which also powers Dia. In his account, meaningfully open-sourcing Arc would require releasing ADK too—technology he described as core to the company’s value. That explains his prior position, not a new commitment to release Arc’s code.