Arc Browser is now available for all Windows 11 users. Native to macOS and iOS, this browser offers a unique benefit to modern browsers with its minimalistic user interface and smart customization features. Until today, Arc was available in closed beta, but now, every Windows user is free to try Arc and experience something new.
I’ve been using Arc as my primary browser for a few weeks now, and it has pleasantly surprised me. True, the unorthodox user interface and some quirks took some time to get used to. However, Arc rewarded me with a lightweight, focused experience without all the annoying, in-your-face stuff that recently made me borderline hate Microsoft Edge with a burning passion.
Being based on Chromium, Arc doesn’t compromise on compatibility, plus you can enjoy hundreds of thousands of Chrome extensions. It’s also worth noting that Arc is built using Swift, Apple’s programming language for macOS and iOS. The team behind Arc spent a lot of time porting the browser from macOS to Windows, and now they’re eager to help other app makers try Swift instead of C++, which is used in Chrome and Edge (via The Verge).
Despite using Swift, Arc for Windows doesn’t feel like a blatantly copied macOS app. It uses native Windows frameworks, which means you get a Windows 11-like UI, familiar menus, switches, and user-favorite Mica materials (there’s also acrylic support for those who want a more transparent UI).
In addition, there are convenient features, such as Split View, tab spacing, vertical tabs, profiles and more.
Today’s release is just the beginning for the Arc team (the company is actually called “The Browser Company”). In the announcement email, developers said they plan to add more features to the Windows version to make it similar to macOS, add support for Windows 10 (currently only available on Windows 11), and more.
In the meantime, you can watch the promo video the browser company made to celebrate the launch of Arc on Windows 11. As you might expect, it ends with the company ditching Microsoft Edge and offering to send it to the recycle bin.