Arc browser to shut down Dec. 22 as users pushed to Dia

The Browser Company will shut down its Arc web browser on December 22, 2026. The company is phasing it out in stages and steering users toward Dia, its AI-focused browser. As of October 22, people can no longer create new Arc accounts. Mobile AI features will end on November 23, and the desktop app will stop working in December, according to a farewell notice on the Arc website.theverge.com

This is the formal end of a browser that drew a loyal following for its unusual design. The Browser Company stopped adding new features to Arc in 2025 and has since put its attention on Dia. Until now it had kept Arc running, The Verge reported.thurrott.com

A staged shutdown

Existing Arc users will see no immediate changes. The latest version of Arc lets people export all their data and makes importing it into Dia easier, according to the company. On November 23, Arc's iOS and Android apps will lose Browse for Me and other AI features. Arc Search will still work as a browser, but users will no longer be able to sign in or sync tabs, the company said.arc.net

On December 22, Arc will stop working on macOS and Windows, and Arc accounts will be deactivated. Personal data tied to those accounts will be deleted within 30 days. Arc Search for Android will also be removed from the Google Play Store, according to the timeline. Until then, Arc will keep working as usual and receive basic updates.arc.net

Security drives the move

The company said security was the main reason for the decision, because maintaining two separate browsers was hard to justify. "Dia was built from the ground up to meet today's security standards, so that's where our engineering and security teams will focus moving forward," the company wrote, as quoted by Thurrott.com. The Verge noted that the company's whole security team is now working on Dia.thurrott.com+1

The company says Dia keeps the Arc features people relied on, such as vertical tabs in the sidebar, Spaces (now called Profiles), pinned tabs, folders and Split View. Dia is free to download for macOS and Windows. In an FAQ, the company said Dia is "a lot faster" than Arc and that its AI features are optional, Thurrott.com reported.arc.net+1

Under Atlassian ownership

The shutdown comes about a year after Atlassian ↗ 1.99% bought The Browser Company. Atlassian announced the roughly $610 million deal in September 2025, according to the company. A securities filing says the purchase was completed on October 20, 2025. At the time, Atlassian said it planned to build Dia into a browser for workplaces as AI browsers grew more competitive.investors.atlassian.com+2

Atlassian CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes described the plan as "taking Arc's SaaS application experience and power user features, and Dia's AI and elegance and speed," and combining them with Atlassian's enterprise expertise "into Dia," he told CNBC.cnbc.com