Just a while ago, I found myself exploring the new Arc Search app. The AFC Championship game had just concluded, and like any curious fan, I wanted to know, “What happened in the Chiefs game?” Typically, I would resort to Google, sift through various links, and piece together the game’s narrative. But this time, I decided to try something different. I typed my query into Arc Search and hit the “Browse for me” button.
Arc Search, the latest offering from The Browser Company, sprung into action. This iOS app, a product of years of development on the Arc browser, scoured the web, reading through six pages from Twitter, The Guardian, and USA Today. Within seconds, it returned a wealth of information. I received the headline, the final score, the key play, a “notable event,” a note about Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift, a list of related links, and several bullet points about the game.
What struck me was that Arc Search didn’t just return a list of search queries about the Chiefs game. Instead, it built me a webpage about it. This approach encapsulates The Browser Company’s innovative vision for the future of web browsers. They believe that a browser, a search engine, an AI chatbot, and a website aren’t separate entities. Instead, they are all components of an internet information finder and should coexist within the same app.
This development is part of a broader shift for the Arc browser. Until now, the company’s mobile app has primarily served as a companion to the desktop version, providing access to open tabs and little else. However, with Arc rolling out to Windows users, The Browser Company is preparing to launch its cross-platform syncing system, Arc Anywhere. They also plan to introduce some of these AI-powered features to Arc on other platforms. Eventually, Arc Search will simply be known as Arc and will be the company’s sole mobile app, according to CEO Josh Miller.
The “Browse for me” feature isn’t flawless, but it’s quite impressive. When I search “What’s Pete Davidson up to?” it provides me with a broad overview of his recent film and breakup news, links to his Wikipedia page, and a couple of news sites’ tag pages for Pete Davidson. It also offers a wealth of information about his recent personal and professional activities. However, like many AI tools, Arc Search isn’t great at citing its sources, so I can’t entirely trust the information it provides. But it does offer a “Dive Deeper” section at the bottom with a bunch of links, which can be quite useful.
The system has improved significantly during my testing period, and Miller assures that there’s plenty of room for Arc Search to get smarter. The underlying AI models, sourced from a mix of OpenAI and others, have been a significant focus for Arc. Some of its Arc Max features have been well-received by users, and as the generative AI tools industry improves, so will Arc.
As a browser, Arc Search is simple, fast, and always opens to an empty search box, which feels right on mobile. However, it does place The Browser Company at the center of many complex AI discussions. Questions about working with publishers, citing sources, personalization, and pricing are yet to be answered. The company hasn’t shared much about its plans on these fronts yet, but these are important questions that need addressing.
From a product perspective, this feels closer to how AI search should work than anything I’ve tried. Products like Copilot and Perplexity AI are cool, but they’re fundamentally just chatbots with web access. Arc Search envisions something else entirely: an AI that explores websites by building you a new one every time you ask.
