Arc Search is finally available on Android as an open beta. Those who relish the Arc browser’s gorgeous design language, AI search engine, and unique tab-management features on desktop can now enjoy a similar experience on their Android smartphone.
As expected, the Android version of Arc Search is missing some functionality at launch. The biggest omission is Arc Sync, which allows you to sync tabs and other content with Arc on desktop or iOS. Pinch to Summarize and Call to Ask are also absent, and Arc’s excellent desktop tab-grouping features still haven’t made their way to the iOS or Android versions of the browser.
But the app’s core functionality—browsing, tab archiving, ad blocking, and the Browse for Me AI search engine—are all intact. Arc Search for Android is impressively lightweight, too, with an initial download size of just 7MB as of this release. And The Browser Company’s design language is as fresh as ever. Arc Search is an undeniably gorgeous app.
Android users also get an exclusive Arc Search app icon. I assumed that no one would care about the app icon, but a bunch of iPhone owners are leaving jealous comments on Threads and Twitter, so I guess it’s a win for the Android community.
I should point out that Arc browser is not yet available on Linux and lacks native support for Windows on ARM. An ARM64 version of the Arc browser is currently in development, but Linux does not appear to be a priority. (Arc is built in Swift, an Apple programming language. Porting it to Windows was a huge undertaking, so don’t hold your breath for a Linux release.)
You can install Arc Search on any device running Android 13 or later. Note that this app is currently in open beta and may contain bugs. The Browser Company has not revealed a launch date for Arc Sync on Android.
Source: The Browser Company via 9to5Mac
