The Browser Company drops Arc Browser in favor of Dia, its new browser

When the Browser Company announced its Arc Browser, it got favorable reviews on a lot of sites. Yes, there were critics as well, but if you read the likes of Lifehacker or The Verge, you’d believe that it would soon overtake every other browser out there.

I have to admit that I did not like Arc Browser from the very start. I said so much last year when I reviewed it. My main concern back then was not the minimalistic approach, but the lack of features, e.g. extensions, and the clear intention of turning a profit with Arc by introducing subscription options.

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with earning a living from your hard work, but a paid browser is a hard sell in a world where all major browsers are free.

Today, The Browser Company sent out a letter to Arc members letting them know that it made the decision to discontinue the Arc Browser to focus fully on Dia.

Here are the key points made in the long letter:

• Arc was “too different” with “too many new things to learn” for “too little reward”.
• The browser felt like a very specialized tool while the company was aiming to become a mass-market consumer product.
• Arc was complex, and many of its core features, those highlighted by reviewers, were not really used by the majority of users.

Dia came into existence as a result of AI taking the world by storm in 2023. With Dia, The Browser Company hopes that it is getting it right this time. Speed and simplicity are the cornerstones of the new browser, and the main reason why the changes could not be integrated into Arc Browser, according to the company.

Dia focuses on artificial intelligence. I wrote about it last month when a quick tour video of Dia was released by The Browser Company. Core features highlighted in the video included the option to have conversations with the AI about any web content open in the browser and use AI search functionality next to that.

Dia is not out yet. When you visit the company website, you still get an option to download Arc Browser for Windows or Mac. While there is a link for Dia as well, it leads to a basic webpage with no download options. You can leave your email address to stay in the loop, but that is about it.

Is Dia going to be the big thing that The Browser Company hopes it is going to be? I have my doubts. AI will certainly play a bigger role in web browsing and the Internet in the years to come, but all major browser makers are integrating AI into their browsers.

Now You: what is your take on this development? Will you try Dia when it becomes available?