Image Source: The Verge
On March 30th, Arc will receive a companion app for iPhones. The app is “NOT a substitute for your primary mobile browser (yet),” according to Josh Miller, CEO of Arc creator The Browser Company, but it should allow Arc users to access at least some of the features they’ve become accustomed to on the desktop version.
The iOS browser will sync your desktop tabs and Spaces (read: groups of tabs, user accounts, and bookmarked sites), and you’ll be able to view your whiteboard-style Easels and notes, according to the App Store listing. You’ll also be able to send Arc URLs that will be kept for subsequent reading.
However, the release won’t accomplish anything for folks who aren’t already using Arc, at least not right now. Before you can use the iPhone app, you must first install Arc on a Mac. You must join a waitlist or receive an invite from an Arc user to have access to the Mac version.
This Arc companion app is among the purest product work we’ve ever shipped – zero fat.
It’s NOT a replacement for your default mobile browser (yet). But it teases our dreams for the future of computing.
New swipes & smiles coming soon – pre-order here: https://t.co/c2jPU62TFj https://t.co/Vr8tXKc0MX
— Josh Miller (@joshm) March 27, 2023
Arc has a distinct idea of how you should use the internet, but it appears tough to convert seamlessly to phones. It makes sense for The Browser Company to begin with a companion app rather than a full-fledged browser, but I’m sure the limitations of not being a full-fledged browser will be disappointing to those who want to use Arc everywhere. Likewise, there does not appear to be an iPad version.
