Arc Search browser officially coming to Android

Damien Wilde | Aug 26 2024 - 1:32 am PT

Although a niche browser on iOS and recently Windows, Arc Search is officially coming to Android.

Alternative browsers are plentiful on Android, but Arc Search has been confirmed in a reply to a Threads question about when it might arrive on Google’s mobile OS. The official Arc Internet account shared a short clip of the app running on what appears to be a Google Pixel and teased that it is “coming soon.”

Why is this a big deal for Android? Well, Arc Search is a mobile browser designed for a streamlined, distraction-free browsing experience. Aside from sleek, minimalist design it also offers lots of baked-in AI functionality with features like the controversial “Browse for Me.” This summarizes information from multiple websites on a single page.

Some arguments against this are from publishers, as it means there is little incentive to actually visit the sites from which the information was originally pulled. That said, this Arc Search function is still similar to the information that Google Gemini or ChatGPT would service up if you asked for subject overviews.

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The browser also has an auto-archive function for old tabs, which aims to keep your browsing history organized. It also has an in-built ad blocker that offers protection from trackers, therefore providing a cleaner, faster experience. Additionally, Arc Search is specifically optimized for mobile devices with features like quick keyboard access and a clear reader mode.

Sadly, no other mention of the timeframe for when Arc Search is coming to Android devices was shared, but let’s hope that this is fairly soon, as even the shared clip looks super slick. The tab switching was shown, and the bottom-based control tabs also look far more accessible than Chrome’s hand-stretching side menu system.