The Browser Company's latest innovative browser, Arc, is coming to iPhone devices on March 30. Initially launched as a desktop browser, Arc as a mobile app will allow users to experience some of the desktop version's features, although it is not expected to have the full functionalities yet to be a Safari replacement.
Arc to Introduce Desktop Version's Features in the iOS App; Not Yet a Full-Blown Mobile Browser
According to The Verge, the mobile app version of Arc will act as an extension of the desktop browser for iPhones. The app will sync the tabs, user accounts, bookmarks, drawings and notes created using the desktop version.
The Browser Company CEO Josh Miller noted that the current version of the Arc mobile app is not a replacement for a default mobile browser. The app version cannot stand as a Safari replacement, at least not for the moment. It is more of a companion app for the desktop browser rather than a full-blown mobile browser. However, the vision for a different browsing experience still remains.
That being said, people who would like to try the Arc mobile app should have the desktop browser already installed on their computers. According to The Browser Company spokesperson Ellis Hamburger, users must set up Arc on Mac first before they can use the features of the mobile version. To note, the Arc browser is currently supported by Mac computers, and those who would like to get Arc for Mac should join a waitlist or be invited by an existing Arc user.
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Things to Expect From Arc as an iOS Browser
The Verge noted that while Arc is launching as an iOS app, it is only available to iPhone devices. Furthermore, users who are already familiar with the Arc on desktop should not expect the exact same feel from the iPhone version, since the features of the desktop version might be difficult to apply to mobile devices.
The Browser Company's Nate Parrott described to Inverse what the users should expect from Arc as a mobile app. According to Parrott, it should look like "chopping off Arc's sidebar and then putting it into an app." However, users should expect elements like "delightful animations, interactions, and haptics," staying true to The Browser Company's vision which is to make the browser experience fun and "more alive."
Prior to the app's rollout on iPhones, the company started sharing previews of Arc's mobile version via TikTok as early as January. Inverse noted the mobile app's design marks the return of skeuomorphism on an iOS device. Skeuomorphism is a term used to describe a design of an item that resembles its real-world counterpart.
Apple used skeuomorphism for its software design with the launch of the first iPhone, but it was dropped by the time the iOS 7 was released. Parrott noted that the Arc's design is not entirely akin to the original iPhone's skeuomorphism, like the brown leather aesthetic of the original Notes app and the green felt background in the Game Center app.
"The aesthetic we're trying to push towards is skeuomorph-ish," Parrott said. "It is really teasing out physicality, depth, and shadows, and working with 3D."
People can expect more changes from the Arc's current design as the app designers take in the users' comments and suggestions. As per Indian Express, Arc was first released in 2022, a project made possible by the collaboration of former design engineers from Instagram, former Tesla and Medium executives, and former Chrome developers, among others.
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