Arc browser to be sunset on December 22, 2026, as its makers move to Dia
The team behind Arc has announced on arc.net that it has decided to sunset the browser on December 22, 2026. The notice opens with an admission that this is not an easy sentence to write, and says the team spent years building Arc and celebrating each release alongside the Arc community.
The stated reason is security. The announcement says the team's priority is to deliver best-in-class security for its members, and that keeping a browser secure takes constant, dedicated work that is only increasing in the age of AI. Dia, the team's new browser, was built from the ground up to meet today's security standards, so that is where its engineering and security teams will focus from now on.
The team says it has tried to make switching to Dia as easy as possible. Passwords, bookmarks, extensions and history come over to Dia seamlessly. Spaces, Folders and Tab Groups exist in Dia and import with data intact. The announcement also claims that Dia now surpasses Arc benchmarks in stability, speed and security, though it gives no figures. The browser features people use in Arc are free in Dia, and the AI is optional.
The notice closes with thanks to Arc users for pushing the team to make the browser better. It says the team that made Arc is the same team behind Dia, and that some of its most ambitious work is just ahead.
Key facts
- The Arc team has decided to sunset the Arc browser on December 22, 2026.
- The stated reason is security: the team says keeping a browser secure takes constant work that is increasing in the age of AI, and Dia was built from the ground up for today's security standards.
- Passwords, bookmarks, extensions and history come over to Dia, and Spaces, Folders and Tab Groups import with data intact.
- The team claims Dia now surpasses Arc benchmarks in stability, speed and security, but gives no figures.
- Arc's browser features are free in Dia, and the AI is optional.
Why it matters
Arc's makers are now retiring the browser with a fixed date: December 22, 2026. The reasoning given is that keeping a browser secure takes constant, dedicated work, so engineering and security effort goes to Dia, which the team says was built from the ground up to meet today's security standards. The announcement ties the rising cost of browser security to the age of AI.
Who it affects
Current Arc users, whom the notice calls members, are the ones who have to decide when to move. The announcement is written for them: it lists what carries over to Dia and promises the features they use in Arc are free in Dia.
How to use it
For anyone moving, the announcement says passwords, bookmarks, extensions and history come over to Dia seamlessly. Spaces, Folders and Tab Groups are in Dia and import with data intact. The browser features used in Arc are free in Dia, and the AI is optional. The notice sets a deadline of December 22, 2026 for the sunset.
How solid is it
This is a first-party announcement from the team that makes Arc, published on arc.net, so the decision and the date are as firm as the source can make them. The claims about Dia are the team's own. The statement that Dia surpasses Arc benchmarks in stability, speed and security comes with no benchmark figures or methodology.
Risks and caveats
The announcement does not say what happens to Arc on or after the sunset date, such as whether it stops launching or stops receiving updates. It does not mention security updates for Arc between now and December 22, 2026. It does not say whether Dia's AI features are on or off by default, only that the AI is optional. It also does not say whether Arc will be open-sourced or whether Dia is available on all platforms Arc supported. No user counts or financial reasons are given.
“Our priority is to deliver best-in-class security for our members.”
— Arc team, arc.net