Arc Browser Will Stop Working on 22 December as Dia Takes Over

Arc’s days as a working desktop browser are numbered. The Browser Company says Arc for macOS and Windows will stop working on 22 December 2026 as its engineering and security teams concentrate on Dia, the AI-centred browser it is positioning as Arc’s successor. This is a shutdown, not merely an end to feature updates.

The company’s farewell notice says new Arc accounts have been unavailable since 22 October. Existing desktop users can keep using the browser and receive basic updates until the December deadline. After that date, they will no longer be able to use Arc or sign in to Arc accounts. Personal data connected to those accounts is scheduled for deletion within 30 days of deactivation.

The company attributes its decision to the continuing work needed to keep a browser secure. It argues that focusing its engineers and security specialists on one product is preferable to maintaining Arc alongside Dia. That explanation does not erase the inconvenience for people who built their working lives around Arc’s Spaces, pinned tabs and folders.

The timetable is more complicated on phones. From 23 November, Arc Search on iOS and Android loses its Browse for Me AI features, sign-in and tab syncing. The iOS app remains usable as a lighter browser. Arc Search for Android is due to be fully retired and removed from the Play Store on 22 December. Readers should not assume the mobile apps have exactly the same final date or behaviour as the desktop product.

Dia can import Arc passwords, history, tabs, bookmarks, extensions and profiles on Mac and Windows, according to the company. It says the familiar sidebar, folders, pinned tabs and split view are also present in Dia, and that its AI functions are optional. Those claims make the switch sound simple, but anyone with a heavily customised workflow should test the import before depending on it.

There is no obligation to choose Dia. Arc’s own support instructions explain how to export browser data and open tabs for use elsewhere. Users should check that passwords and bookmarks have arrived in the destination browser, keep a copy of anything important and complete the move before 22 December. Waiting until Arc no longer opens would make the process needlessly difficult.

The decision also sharpens a larger question about AI browsers. TechBooky has examined how AI features are changing Chrome and its challengers. Arc helped popularise a different way to organise the web; Dia now has to prove that an AI-first successor is worth following without losing the trust of the people who liked the original.

For Arc users, the immediate story is less about browser rivalry than continuity. The next two months are a migration window with clear milestones. Confirm what must be carried over, try the replacement and make sure essential information is accessible outside Arc before the desktop switch-off.