I tried MacOS’s hottest new browser

This week, as per the recommendation of my friend, I tried The Browser Company’s Arc — the browser to end all browsers, and I’ve got to say — it is not your usual browser and there’s a lot to love about that. A host of shortcuts and swipes will make your browsing experience feel zappier than say Chrome or Safari. With tabs on the side and customization like no other google.com host, it’s truly a simple “window to everything on the internet” and will come as a blessing for many who find their existing browser cluttered.

So here are my thoughts on Arc for every day I used it this week.

Day 1

First thing I’ve noticed with Arc, is that the process of setting my account up is like no other. Well, no other browser that is. To be honest, it feels more like a video-game than a browser. I mean look at the card you get with it! What other browser does that?

The browser feels quick and snappy, which me and my shortening attention span applaud, but I did find that once you go dumpster diving in the menus, the experience slo-ws

do-wn

a l-

ot.

The whole process of setting it up was a lot of fun though, but here is where the real analysis begins.

Day 2

Now on day 2, and there’s still a lot of things to love. Different spaces make navigating my different workflows a bliss, and the tab management is really intuitive. However, some cracks are starting to appear in the walls in terms of the app’s fluidity.

i.e. YouTube full screen is a bit bugged and Netflix’s picture-in-picture won’t work so I’m forced to revert back to Firefox if I want to multitask while watching The Office*.

To be honest though, I’m starting to count the days until I can make my marriage with Firefox official.

*Strangely, these problems fixed themselves after a couple of hours.

Day 3

Today will be my first day of using Arc at school and I’ve got to say, I actually woke up excited to use it. Splitting tabs was a breeze when it came to picking my outfit for the Year 10 formal and profiles made managing tabs feel natural.

Why is this starting to feel like I’m having an affair …?

Day 4

Okay here was my original plan — I was going to give Arc a thumbs up and a recommendation to most but switch back to Firefox anyway … at least until Arc is out of beta. But uhhhh … yeah I don’t think I’m doing that anymore. Really starting to cherish the days I use this browser.

Day 5

The more I use this browser, the more intuitive it gets. It almost seems like it was made for my exact workflow. Over the last few days, I’ve been exploring and further optimising the various shortcuts Arc comes with. One shortcoming of the app though is the responsiveness of the help team. I’ve enquired about a couple of things over the last couple of days but still haven’t heard back. Hopefully that changes sometime soon.

Note: That did change soon.

Day 6

Holy shit the folders in Arc are incredible. The animations too. By using them, I can minimise my spaces to only two (Life and School), making multitasking even easier.

Day 7 (and conclusion)

And so all good things must come to an end.

This week, I tried Arc — the latest splash in the productivity space … but maybe it’s something more than that? There are so many things to love about this browser; spaces, folders, bookmarks, windows, multitasking and even more. Arc truly feels different to any other browser I’ve used before and the extensive customisation features really make it feel like it was made just for me. Don’t get me wrong — it’s definitely still in beta. Reader mode feels sluggish, certain transitions feel clunky and … well that’s just about it. It’s really a great first step for a new startup, and for many people will be the browser they’ve been waiting for.

So am I going to use Arc as my daily driver, or will I pass it up for something else? The answer is … yes. In spite of a number of bugs and missing features, Arc still has enough to love about it that I’m willing to break off my happy marriage and expand my horizons with Arc by my side. No other browser (not Firefox, not Chrome, not Safari and certainly not Opera GX) has made me feel the way that Arc has and that’s a feeling worth sticking around for.

It’s your move, Mozilla.