Arc browser shutting down December 22: how to export your data

Key takeaways

• The Browser Company says the Arc browser is shutting down: Arc will stop working on macOS and Windows on December 22, 2026.
• New Arc accounts can no longer be created as of October 22, 2026. Mobile AI features such as Browse for Me switch off on November 23.
• After December 22, Arc accounts are deactivated, and the company says personal data will be deleted within 30 days.
• The company points to security as the reason. Its engineering and security teams are moving to Dia, its AI browser. Atlassian bought The Browser Company in a deal announced in September 2025.
• Users have about two months to export their data or move to Dia or another browser. The latest Arc version adds an export option.

Arc browser shutting down: what the announcement says

The Arc browser is shutting down: The Browser Company says Arc will be "sunsetting on December 22, 2026," when it stops working on macOS and Windows, according to 9to5Mac and XDA Developers. Users have about two months to export their data.

This was expected. In May 2025 the New York company said it had stopped active development of Arc to focus on Dia, its AI-first browser. At the time, it promised only to keep Arc running and set no end date. The notice now gives that date and a step-by-step wind-down.

The shutdown timeline

The company has split the wind-down into three stages. The table below is based on the arc.net farewell notice.

Source: The Browser Company, "A farewell to Arc," arc.net, October 22, 2026.

Until December 22, the company says Arc "will continue to work as usual and will receive basic updates." The notice does not give a separate end date for security patches or for updates to Chromium, the open-source engine Arc is built on. It also does not say what happens to the lite iOS version of Arc Search after December 22. Those details have not been confirmed.

Why Arc is being shut down

The company's reason is security. In its announcement, quoted by 9to5Mac, it said its "priority is to deliver best-in-class security for our members." It said keeping a browser secure takes constant work that is growing "in the age of AI." Dia, it said, was "built from the ground up" to meet current security standards. Its engineering and security teams will now work on Dia only.

The company also says Dia now beats Arc's own benchmarks for stability, speed and security. That is the company's claim. XDA notes it has not been independently verified.

Ownership matters here too. On September 4, 2025, Atlassian, the maker of Jira and Trello, agreed to buy The Browser Company for about $610 million in cash, as heise online reported. Atlassian's investor relations release of October 21, 2025, confirmed the deal had closed. It said the goal was an AI-powered browser for knowledge work, built around the SaaS apps people use every day. Dia is that product. A browser that is no longer developed but still has to be patched, Arc, has little place in that plan.

Arc is not the only browser to go this year. 9to5Mac notes that OpenAI also shut down its Atlas browser earlier in 2026, in favour of the browser built into the ChatGPT app.

Key dates in Arc's history

• April 2022: Arc is announced after an invite-only beta (per Wikipedia).
• July 2023: Public release on macOS, built on Chromium.
• January 2024: Arc Search replaces the earlier iOS companion app.
• April 2024: Arc arrives on Windows 11, with Windows 10 support added later.
• May 2025: The company stops active development to focus on Dia (AlternativeTo).
• September–October 2025: Atlassian announces and completes the acquisition.
• October 22, 2026: Arc gets its end date of December 22, 2026.

What Arc users should do now

You have about two months. Don't wait until the last week. These are the steps, based on the company's own instructions.

1. Update Arc and export your data

The export option is only in the latest version of Arc. The arc.net notice gives these paths:

• macOS: Arc > Settings > Advanced > Export Data, choose where to save, then Save.
• Windows: press Ctrl+, or open the Arc menu and choose Settings. Under Advanced, find "Export Spaces and tabs," select Export Data, then Save.
• iOS (Arc Search): tap the Tab Switcher icon at the bottom left, then Settings, then Export Data.
• Android (Arc Search): tap the Tab Switcher at the bottom left, then Settings, Storage, Export data.

If you have not opened Arc in a while, the company says to download it again from arc.net and export from inside the app. On mobile, the export is a list of open tabs that you can share or copy as links.

2. Check what the export contains

The notice says the update lets you export "all of your data." But it does not list exactly which data types are included or what file format is used. Before December 22, open the exported file. Check that your Spaces, pinned tabs, folders and saved links are there. Keep a copy in your cloud storage or on a backup drive.

3. Handle your passwords

Passwords need the most care. If you already keep logins in a separate password manager, nothing changes. If you rely on passwords saved inside Arc, do not assume they are in the export file. Either move them to Dia, which the company says imports logins directly, or make sure they are saved somewhere else before Arc stops working. This is also a good time to add passkeys to your main accounts, so fewer logins depend on any one browser.

4. Choose where to go next

The company is steering users to Dia. You don't need to export first. According to the notice, Dia imports logins, extensions, Spaces, Favorites, Pinned Tabs and Folders from Arc. You can do this during sign-up, or before December 22 via Dia > Import from Another Browser on macOS (or the Dia app menu on Windows). The company says Arc's browser features are free in Dia and that its AI features are optional.

If you would rather leave The Browser Company altogether, most major browsers have an import tool, and Arc's extensions come from the Chrome Web Store. Arc's exported file is your safety net. Before you depend on any import tool, check that Arc is listed as a supported source and that your Spaces come across the way you expect.

5. Don't keep using Arc after December 22

Arc will stop working on desktop on December 22. Even before then, it will receive only "basic updates." A browser that is no longer developed is a weak point for security, as recent emergency patch cycles and high-profile breaches show. Move your everyday browsing well before the deadline.

What it means

For Arc's users, this is a forced move with a clear deadline and an official export path. That is better than many app shutdowns. The main risks are personal: Spaces that never get exported, and passwords left behind in a browser that will stop opening.

For the wider market, Arc's end shows where browser makers think the value now lies. The Browser Company built its name on interface design. It is now betting on an AI browser for workplaces, backed by Atlassian. OpenAI has already folded its Atlas browser into the ChatGPT app. Building an AI browser is becoming a question of distribution and security work, not just new features. Developers testing agent tools, such as MCP servers that connect AI to apps, will notice the same shift. What has not been confirmed is how many people still use Arc, and how many will follow it to Dia.

Sources

• The Browser Company — A farewell to Arc (arc.net, October 22, 2026)
• 9to5Mac — Arc browser gets a sunset date, and users have two months to move on
• XDA Developers — Arc browser is getting the axe as its creator goes all-in on AI with Dia
• Atlassian — Atlassian Completes Acquisition of The Browser Company of New York
• heise online — Atlassian acquires The Browser Company for 610 million US dollars
• AlternativeTo — The Browser Company officially halts Arc development to focus on Dia
• Wikipedia — Arc (web browser)