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8 Features of the Arc Browser for Better Productivity

Are too many open tabs on your browser keeping you from completing your tasks? Introducing Arc Browser: A free web browser optimized for clean UIs that can help you minimize distractions and maximize productivity.

Developed by The Browser Company, Arc is designed to help you stay focused on the task at hand. The browser stands out due to its exceptional features that increase efficiency. The features listed below are all made with the user's productivity in mind.

1. The All-Encompassing Sidebar

Before getting into Arc's features, it is important to know about the Sidebar. Unlike most browsers that have a menu bar on the top section of the window, Arc has a sidebar on the left side. This acts as a home for all the Arc browser features and settings.

If you're using Arc on multiple devices, you can sync your data via iCloud so that you view the same Sidebar across all your devices.

2. Create Dedicated Areas With Profiles and Spaces

With Arc Profiles, you can store multiple login credentials, browsing history, and cookies across one or more Spaces. This is ideal if you're working with multiple accounts for work, school, personal life, etc.

Spaces are ideal for grouping different tabs based on their purpose. You can have Spaces dedicated to your work, personal life, hobbies, etc. You can also have a unique theme for each space so that context-switching between them becomes easier.

How to Create Profiles and Spaces in the Arc Browser

  • To create a Space, click the + button at the bottom of the sidebar and select New Space.
  • To add a Profile to a Space, hover over the Space title to open the menu. Here, navigate to Profile and select New Profile. You can also select any existing Profile that you have already set up.
  • 3. Keep Your Favorites on Top

    If you have webpages that aren't dedicated to a single place, you can mark them as Favorites. These will be visible above your Spaces in the sidebar.

    Favorites can be considered pinned tabs that do not belong to any space. These can be email pages, calendars, streaming platforms, task management apps, and more. You can have up to eight Favorites in your sidebar.

    How to Add Favorites in the Arc Browser

    To include a tab in your Favorites, just drag the tab from the Space and drop it to the top of the sidebar. Alternatively, you can right-click on the tab, and select Move To > Favorites.

    4. Customize Your Surfing With Boost

    With Boost, you can create customized browsing experiences by changing the look and feel of your browser. With some basic HTML skills, you can also control the way you view specific websites by blocking entire sections of the webpage (great for blocking ads on the side panels!).

    Arc also allows you to share your Boosts that you create with others, so your friends too can experience the distraction-free space that you enjoy.

    How to Create a Boost in the Arc Browser

    To create a Boost, click the + button at the bottom of the sidebar and select New Boost. This will bring up the color picker pop-up on your screen.

    5. Sketch, Scribble, Plan With Easels

    Easels are virtual whiteboards within Arc that are ideal for drawing, writing, and collecting images. Easels can be used for brainstorming and ideation, creating sketches and flowcharts, or just doodling.

    The images you capture on Easel can directly link to the live version of the source website, enabling you to review any updates to the information you previously stored.

    How to Use Easels in the Arc Browser

  • To create an Easel, click the + button at the bottom of the sidebar and select New Easel.
  • To capture images for your Easel, click the Shift + Command and drag your mouse to capture the desired area on the tab.
  • 6. Have an On-Demand Mini-Browser With Little Arc

    "Little Arc" is a temporary, smaller browser window that is perfect for those minor uses, like opening a link from an external app. You can simply open, view, and close a link in Little Arc without messing up your spaces and tabs on Arc. If needed, you can also transfer tabs from Little Arc to your Arc Sidebar.

    How to Launch the Little Arc

  • Whenever you open a link from another app, the tab is automatically opened on Little Arc.
  • To open Little Arc separately, press Command + Option + N from any app.
  • Arc's built-in split-screen mode allows you to view multiple tabs at once. You can split your browser into two, each showing a distinct tab. This is ideal for situations where you need to use pages for cross-reference or comparison.

    How to Use Split-Screen in the Arc Browser

    For a split-screen view, open your first tab, and then drag and drop the second tab to the middle of the browser screen.

    8. Improve Efficiency With Shortcuts

    Arc understands the value of your time and has several shortcuts to efficiently navigate the browser. By mastering these shortcuts, you can perform functions faster, such as switching between Spaces, toggling between tabs, opening Little Arc, and so much more.

    Arc also allows you to customize your keyboard shortcuts based on your convenience.

    How to Customize Shortcuts in the Arc Browser

  • Here is the full list of Arc shortcuts.
  • To customize your shortcuts, go to the Shortcuts tab in Arc Settings.
  • To delete customized shortcuts or to reset a shortcut to default, right-click on the desired shortcut and choose the applicable option.
  • Other Notable Productivity Features in Arc

    • Auto-archive: Arc regularly auto-archives all open tabs every 12 hours, but you can adjust this frequency in Settings. To retain any tab, you can add them to your Favorites or pin them to a Space.
    • Folders: You can use Folders to store and manage pages that you temporarily need. Tabs within Folders do not auto-archive.
    • Air Traffic Control: With Arc's Air Traffic Control, you can automate the assignment of newly opened tabs to designated Spaces.

    Revolutionize Your Browsing Experience With Arc Browser

    In the digital age, we all need to work smarter, not harder. And the Arc browser was designed to achieve just that. With these brilliant features, Arc Browser for Mac has revolutionized efficient web navigation.

    The Arc browser is currently only available for macOS and iOS, with the Windows version still under development. So if you're a Windows user, here are some new-age web browsers that you can try.

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    Jenniffer Sheldon

    Update: 2024-06-14