Arc: The Browser Company considers sale or open sourcing
The Browser Company no longer wants to develop its Arc browser any further. The focus is on the AI browser Dia.
The Arc Browser will no longer receive any new functions.
(Image: The Browser Company)
As the CEO of The Browser Company, Josh Miller, explains in a extensive and open contribution about the future of the Arc browser, the development of new functions was discontinued a year ago in favor of the second browser, Dia. The sale or open-sourcing of Arc had been considered. However, it is not that simple.
Arc: open sourcing or sale difficult, but “not off the table”
Currently, neither one nor the other is on the table. This is because Arc is not just a Chromium fork, but also has its own “customized infrastructure”, which the manufacturer calls ADK (Arc Development Kit). The problem: ADK, which Miller describes as “secret sauce”, is also the basis of the new browser.
However, this certain hurdle does not mean that a possible sale or open sourcing is completely off the table. “If the day comes when our team or our shareholders are no longer at risk, we would be happy to share what we have built with the world,” said Miller.
This development is not entirely surprising, as back in December 2024, when The Browser Company announced Dia, the company admitted that Arc was too complex for many users. With Dia, the company wanted to develop a product that would appeal to the masses.
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Arc continues to receive security updates and bug fixes
Since the announcement of Dia, The Browser Company has devoted less development time to Arc. Only bug fixes and security updates will be released for Arc; there will be no more new features.
According to Miller, the company sees Dia as a new opportunity to fix the mistakes made with Arc. The focus with Dia is more on “simplicity” rather than “novelty”. In this context, Miller quotes former Apple manager Scott Forstall, who told Miller that Arc felt like a saxophone – “powerful but difficult to learn”. Forstall urged: “Make it a piano. Something that anyone can sit down and play.” This is the approach The Browser Company is pursuing with Dia: “Hiding complexity behind familiar interfaces.”
Whether The Browser Company will live up to this vision is still unclear. The Dia browser is still in the alpha test phase and will initially be offered to users of the Arc browser. The company has not yet announced a specific date for wider availability.
(afl)
