The Arc browser by The Browser Company is an innovative web browser that aims to reimagine the browsing experience. Originally launched only for macOS in 2021, Arc has expanded to iOS with a companion app in 2023 and Windows in 2024.
The Arc companion app for iOS allows you to access your open Arc browser tabs, bookmarks, and spaces from your iPhone or iPad. It syncs seamlessly with the Arc desktop app via iCloud Drive. While it doesn’t function as a full web browser on its own, the Arc iOS companion app enables convenient mobile access to your Arc browser data.
In January 2024, Arc also released a new iPhone app called Arc Search, which combines web browsing, search, and AI capabilities into one service. Arc Search includes features like “Browse for Me”, which uses AI to automatically generate a custom web page to answer your search query.
Download and Set Up the Arc iOS Companion App
To use the Arc browser iOS companion app, you first need to have Arc set up on your Mac.
Once you have the desktop Arc browser installed:
- Download the Arc iOS app from the App Store on your iPhone or iPad.
- Enable iCloud Drive in your Mac System Preferences to allow syncing between Arc desktop and the iOS app.
- Sign in to Arc iOS app using your Arc browser credentials. This syncs your existing browser data.
The Arc iOS companion app will now stay in sync with your open tabs, bookmarks, and spaces from the Arc desktop app automatically via iCloud Drive.
Key Features of Arc iOS Companion App
The Arc browser iOS companion app allows you to:
- View all your open Arc tabs from iOS to quickly access webpages open on your Mac
- Organize tabs into different spaces – your Arc spaces sync between desktop and mobile
- Search tabs by title or page content to instantly find opened pages
- View bookmarks and bookmark new pages to sync with Arc desktop
- Pin tabs for quick access on iOS home screen
- Share webpages to other apps or social media from your opened Arc tabs
- Reader mode to simplify viewing of article pages
While basic, the Arc iOS companion enables portable access to your vital Arc web browser data. It offers a native and optimized mobile experience for Arc power users.
Use Arc Search as Your Default iOS Browser
Beyond the companion app, Arc Search offers a whole new mobile web browser experience for iOS focused on AI-powered search.
To set up Arc Search on your iPhone:
- Download Arc Search from the iOS App Store
- Open Settings => Arc Search and toggle on “Default Browser App”
- In Arc Search, tap the “Browse for Me” button when searching to generate an AI summary page
Key features of Arc Search include:
- “Browse for Me” uses AI to create a custom web page answering your search query
- Syncs open tabs, bookmarks and browser history with Arc desktop
- Simple, fast, one-handed mobile browser optimized for iPhone
- Smart tab management like automatic tab archiving
As Arc Search replaces the original companion app in future, it provides the full Arc browsing experience optimized for mobile. The AI-powered search and summarization makes it an intriguing new alternative iOS browser.
Conclusion
The Arc browser by The Browser Company brings innovation back to web browsing. The Arc iOS companion app enables mobile access to your vital Arc data like open tabs, bookmarks, and spaces.
Arc Search then takes things further with AI-generated web pages tailored to your search queries. As Arc Search matures, it has major potential as an AI-first mobile browser reimagining search and reducing information overload.