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Yes. Arc is available as a desktop browser for Windows PCs. You can download it from Arc’s official website, sign in or create an Arc account during setup, and optionally import Chrome data. The Windows release is built on Chromium, so Chrome extensions and Chromium-compatible websites are supported.
Arc’s main difference is organizational rather than rendering technology: it combines Spaces, Profiles, a sidebar, Split View, Peek previews and picture-in-picture video into a workspace-oriented browser. There are important qualifications, however. Linux is unsupported, the company says Arc receives Chromium updates only, and the reviewed official material does not publish a current Windows hardware-requirements table.
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What Arc Browser for Windows is
Arc is a Chromium-based desktop browser from The Browser Company. On Windows, it provides the same broad browsing foundation used by Chromium browsers while presenting tabs, bookmarks and browsing contexts in a different layout. Instead of treating every page as a disposable tab in a long horizontal strip, Arc centers navigation around a vertical sidebar and organized workspaces.
The official Windows FAQ says Chrome extensions are supported and describes compatibility with the Chrome websites and extensions people rely on. That makes Arc suitable for ordinary web applications, research, communication, streaming and other Chromium-based workflows, subject to the normal limitations of individual extensions or sites.
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Windows availability and compatibility
| Question | Current answer |
|---|---|
| Can you install Arc on a Windows PC? | Yes. Arc’s official homepage provides a “Download Arc for Windows” option. |
| Which Windows version is required? | The reviewed official pages do not state one current, dated minimum Windows version. |
| Is Arc based on Chromium? | Yes. |
| Do Chrome extensions work? | Yes. The official FAQ says Chrome Extensions are supported. |
| Can Chrome data be imported? | Yes. Chrome data can be imported during setup. |
| Is Linux supported? | No. The official FAQ explicitly says Linux is not supported. |
| Does Windows have every Mac feature? | There is no complete, current feature-parity matrix in the reviewed sources, so treat Windows as having the core Arc model rather than assuming every Mac-only detail is present. |
Because a minimum Windows edition, processor, memory, storage and graphics specification is not established in the current official material, do not rely on an undated requirement copied from a third-party download page. If the installer refuses to run or behaves unexpectedly, use Arc’s official Help Center for the current installation guidance.
How to download and install Arc on Windows
- Open Arc’s official website. Choose the publisher’s “Download Arc for Windows” link rather than a third-party software mirror.
- Run the downloaded installer. Follow the Windows prompts and allow the application to finish installing. The exact prompts can change as Arc updates its installer.
- Launch Arc. Complete the on-screen account or sign-in steps if requested. Account requirements and available prompts may vary by release.
- Choose whether to import browser data. During setup, Arc offers Chrome-data import. The company says this can take less than five seconds; that is a company claim, not an independent timing test.
- Review permissions and defaults. Decide whether Arc should be your default browser and confirm any Windows permission dialogs before starting normal browsing.
If you downloaded an installer but cannot complete setup, first remove an incomplete prior installation, restart Windows, and retry with the current installer from Arc’s site. For account, installer or update errors that persist, consult the official Help Center because the applicable fix depends on the Windows release and Arc build.
How Arc organizes browsing
Spaces for separate contexts
Spaces are Arc’s top-level way to separate activities such as work, study, personal projects or hobbies. Each Space can have its own collection of pages and organization, allowing you to switch contexts without rebuilding a tab set every time. A useful arrangement is to keep professional services in one Space, coursework in another and personal planning in a third.
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Profiles separate browsing data and preferences. This is useful when one Windows account needs distinct identities, logins or histories—for example, separating a work identity from personal browsing. A Space describes a context for pages; a Profile is the stronger boundary for data and preferences. Choose Profiles when separation of sign-ins, history or settings matters, not merely when you want another visual tab group.
The sidebar
Arc’s Windows sidebar is the main navigation surface. TechCrunch’s Windows launch report describes it as a place for pinned and frequently used pages. Pinned pages act like durable destinations, while frequently used pages remain available as part of your active browsing flow. This arrangement reduces the need to search through a crowded horizontal tab bar.
Split View
Split View places multiple pages in one Arc window. It is useful when two pages must remain visible together, such as a document beside reference material, a video beside notes or two sources in a comparison. Because both pages share one window, you can work side by side without manually resizing separate Windows windows.
Peek previews
Peek provides a preview from pinned or favorite pages without fully opening the destination as a permanent browsing page. It is designed for quick checks: inspect a link, decide whether it is relevant, then close the preview or promote it into your workspace. This keeps exploratory clicks from filling the sidebar.
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Picture-in-picture video
Arc for Windows supports picture-in-picture video, according to TechCrunch’s launch coverage. A playing video can remain visible while you switch pages or work in another tab, which is useful for tutorials, lectures and long-form video that you need to reference while doing another task.
Chrome extensions and website compatibility
Arc’s Chromium foundation means that Chrome extensions are the intended extension path. Install an extension through the compatible Chrome extension workflow, then review its permissions as you would in any other Chromium browser. Extensions that depend on a particular browser’s proprietary interface, enterprise policy or companion application can still behave differently; Chromium compatibility is broad support, not a guarantee that every extension will be identical in every environment.
Most sites built for Chromium browsers should render in Arc. If a site fails, test it with extensions temporarily disabled, check whether the site requires a pop-up or third-party-cookie setting, and confirm that Arc is current. A failure limited to one extension or web application does not by itself show that Arc’s general Chromium compatibility is broken.
Moving from Chrome
Arc’s setup flow can import Chrome data. The official FAQ presents this as a quick operation that may take less than five seconds, but the time depends on the amount and type of data being processed. Before importing, close Chrome and make sure you know which Chrome profile contains the bookmarks, saved passwords or other items you want to move.
After import, verify the items that matter before deleting anything from Chrome. Check bookmarks, frequently used sites and password-manager access separately. Some credentials may require Windows authentication or a fresh sign-in, and extension-specific settings may not transfer even when the extension itself is installed.
Privacy and security: what Arc’s statements mean
Privacy positioning
Arc’s official homepage says the browser is built to be private and that the company does not know which sites users visit or what they search for. That is The Browser Company’s first-party privacy position. It should not be read as a claim that websites, extensions, internet providers or Windows itself cannot observe activity under their own policies. Review the privacy disclosures and permissions for any extensions you install.
Updates and CVE coverage
The current Arc homepage displays this warning: “FYI: Arc receives Chromium updates only. For active security patches and enterprise-grade protection, download Dia instead.” The wording distinguishes Arc’s Chromium updates from the company’s positioning of Dia; it does not establish a particular Arc update timetable or promise the same security program as another product.
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The Browser Company’s CVE policy lists Arc on macOS and Windows among covered client software and says CVEs are issued only for the most recent supported client versions. Keep Arc current if you use it, and avoid assuming that an old Windows build receives the same vulnerability handling as the newest supported client. The policy does not publish a specific Windows version number in the reviewed material.
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Windows includes Arc’s central organizational model: Spaces, Profiles, sidebar-based page management, Split View and the other headline workflow features described above. TechCrunch reported that the Windows application was built with Swift on Windows and documented the initial Windows feature set.
That evidence supports saying that core Arc features are available on Windows. It does not support a claim that Windows and Mac have complete one-to-one parity. If a feature is essential to your workflow, check Arc’s current Windows documentation or test it on the Windows build before migrating completely from another browser.
Common problems and practical checks
The download page or installer does not work
- Download a fresh installer from Arc’s official site rather than a mirror.
- Confirm that Windows has completed pending system updates and restart before trying again.
- Remove a partial Arc installation if Windows reports that an existing setup is damaged.
- Use the official Help Center for release-specific installer guidance; a universal hardware requirement is not published in the reviewed sources.
An extension is missing or malfunctioning
- Confirm that you installed it in the intended Arc Profile.
- Check the extension’s site-access and permission settings.
- Temporarily disable other extensions to identify conflicts.
- Look for an extension update and verify that the site itself supports Chromium browsers.
Imported Chrome data is incomplete
- Recheck which Chrome profile was selected during import.
- Keep the original Chrome profile until bookmarks and required sign-ins are verified.
- Expect some extensions, session state and protected credentials to require separate setup.
Who should use Arc on Windows?
Arc is a strong fit if your main frustration is browser clutter and you prefer explicit workspaces. Spaces help separate activities, Profiles isolate data and preferences, and the sidebar, Peek and Split View reduce the friction of moving among related pages. Chrome compatibility also lowers the cost of testing it with an existing extension set.
Be more cautious if your organization requires a documented enterprise-security program, a guaranteed long-term update cadence or a specific Windows hardware baseline. Arc’s own homepage limits its update description to Chromium updates, and the official material reviewed here does not provide the detailed requirements or complete Windows–Mac parity matrix those decisions may require. Linux users should choose a browser that officially supports Linux instead, because Arc does not.
A sensible evaluation checklist
Before making Arc your default Windows browser, check these items against your own needs:
- Installation: Does the current official installer run on your Windows edition?
- Compatibility: Do your essential sites and Chrome extensions work in the Profile where you will use them?
- Organization: Do Spaces and the sidebar make your projects easier to find than your current tab system?
- Separation: Do Profiles provide the data and preference boundaries you need?
- Security: Are Chromium-only update messaging and the supported-client CVE policy acceptable for your risk level?
- Parity: Are any Mac-specific features you rely on available in the Windows build?
- Migration: Have you verified imported bookmarks, passwords and extension settings before removing your old browser?
The Bottom Line
Arc can be downloaded and used on Windows PCs, with Chromium compatibility, Chrome-extension support and a distinctive workspace system built around Spaces, Profiles, the sidebar, Split View, Peek and picture-in-picture. Its main limitations are the lack of Linux support, no published current hardware-requirements table, uncertain complete parity with Mac, and the company’s warning that Arc receives Chromium updates only.
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