Arc by The Browser Company seemingly popped out of nowhere, and the company has been hard at work, adding new features and refining the experience for all users. This new browser came at a perfect time when the market was saturated by same-looking Chromium-based browsers like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave, and Opera.
Although Arc is also based on Chromium, the interface is a lot different from what you might expect. Soon after the PC version’s release, The Browser Company released Arc Search for iPhones.
I didn’t think much of the browser at first, but after using it for a while, I’ve started to believe it might just be the best browser to use on iOS. Here’s my list of reasons why:
Browse for Me
The Browse for Me feature isn’t entirely a new concept, but its execution is done amazingly. It uses AI to find the information you need and summarizes it using a Large Language Model (LLM).
To use it, open Arc Search and write the search query in the search bar. Then, click on the Browse for Me button towards the right side to use the feature. If you are already on a web page, you can summarize it by using a pinch-in gesture, which takes a second and provides an AI summary of the content on the page.
The generated page will have these sections:
- Gallery: You will see a carousel of media that’s associated with your search. Clicking on the image will open the website that has the image.
- Content: This is the main summary of the core information about the search query. It’s shown under the carousel of images and is usually written in a bullet list format, similar to the one you’re reading.
- Top Search: Following the main content, you will be able to see the top results for the query with clickable links.
- Additional Information: After a quick summary along with the search results, you will see this section that goes into detail about the information you’re looking for. This section is most likely to show you the result you’re looking for since the content section generally shows basic information.
- Dive Deeper: This section is at the end of the AI summary and it includes links for the web results. It has links that will allow you to explore the content in-depth, related to your search results.
Arc Sync
This feature, although exists in other browsers, is very well executed in Arc for iPhones. It allows you to keep your sidebar with you, regardless of your device.
When Sync is turned on, your folders, tabs, and spaces will be synced across all devices. For now, your profiles, favorites, extensions, passwords, and history won’t be synced.
The browser has full end-to-end encryption for the data in the sidebar and this design helps keep data safe. It uses asymmetric and symmetric encryption which allows Arc to work fast.
On macOS and Windows, you can find the feature in the settings menu. There, make sure you’re logged in to your Arc account. You should see a toggle for Sync Sidebar.
Call Arc
This is the newest feature added to be added to Arc Search. It allows you to search by using a gesture that works like a phone call.
To use it, all you need to do is open the web browser on your phone and hold it up to your ear. A new interface has been added which looks and feels similar to the iOS calling interface. Since it’s a call-like feature, you can speak into the mic to ask a question, and the browser will respond verbally, with a speech bubble that shows what the browser is saying in text form.
This feature worked slowly for me when I used a cellular connection since there was generally a lot of latency with it. However, with my Xfinity internet, the feature works with less lag.
The voice-based searching experience makes it look like you’re talking on the phone. I don’t find it that practical, but it’s a neat feature to have for people who like it use voice-based search, rather than typing in their queries.
It’s been a while since we have come across a truly revolutionary browser. While Arc isn’t something entirely new, it puts some twists on the way we use our browsers and introduces some great new features. With further updates and the right direction, I have no doubt that Arc is going to be the definitive browser we use on our devices especially iPhones!