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Forward-looking: The Browser Company, a young startup developing innovative browsing solutions on the Chromium foundation is looking beyond its current flagship offering. Although the Arc browser remains "a priority" and is not going away, the company is already gearing up for what's next.
Arc is a free, Chromium-based browser initially released in 2022. Founded by Josh Miller and Hursh Agrawal, The Browser Company set out to create a full-fledged "operating system" for the web, complete with features like ad-blocking. While Arc has garnered a loyal user base who appreciate its design and functionality, Miller recently acknowledged that it's not the final step for the company.
According to Miller, The Browser Company is now working on a completely new product – not "Arc 2.0." Although they initially considered revamping Arc's interface, the team ultimately decided to leverage the solid foundation they built with Arc while developing a fresh concept. Miller now views Arc as "feature-complete" or "complete-ish" and plans to continue providing stability updates and bug fixes for the foreseeable future.
While Arc may not disrupt the market immediately, TBC's new browser aims to do just that. Miller envisions a browsing experience that doesn't feel like using a conventional computing device, utilizing AI algorithms and generative AI tools to create a more proactive and seamless digital experience.
An initial version of the new browser could debut in early 2025, bringing Arc's most experimental ideas into new territory. Miller and his team are once again attempting to reinvent the browser – an ambition many have pursued before but few have successfully realized, particularly since Google monopolized the market with Chrome and the Chromium engine.
Miller has disclosed little about what this new AI-focused browser will be capable of or how it will address challenges like AI hallucinations and nonsensical outputs. Currently, the team is concentrating on making the transition from Arc to the new product smoother, retaining a familiar interface while gradually introducing the AI-powered features that will set it apart.
For now, Arc still offers a unique interface among Chrome/Chromium alternatives, but it doesn't diverge significantly from Chrome in terms of ad-blocking capabilities. With Chromium phasing out Manifest V2 extensions (like uBlock Origin) in favor of the more restrictive Manifest V3, Arc, too, plans to end Manifest V2 support by June 2025, aligning with other Chromium-based browsers.