Arc is shutting down on 22 December 2026: what to do before then
Last updated 11 Nov 2026
The Browser Company announced in October 2026 that Arc stops on 22 December 2026. From that day it won't open on macOS or Windows, and Arc accounts are deactivated the same day (TidBITS, 9to5Mac). That is about two months' notice. This page is the short list of what to copy out while Arc still opens, and where to go next. I make camber, one of the options, so read the comparison with that in mind.
What is at risk
Your sidebar: spaces, pinned tabs, folders and favorites. Logins saved in Arc. The list of extensions you installed. Your history. Arc accounts are deactivated the same day, so don't count on sync to hold any of it; the copy on your computer is the one you can keep.
Do these while Arc still opens
- Copy your sidebar file. Arc keeps the whole sidebar in
StorableSidebar.json. On macOS it is at~/Library/Application Support/Arc/StorableSidebar.json(Finder, Go, Go to Folder). The Windows path is in the moving from Arc guide. Copy it somewhere outside Arc's folder. It lists your tabs and their addresses, so treat it like browsing history. - Get your passwords out. If Arc is where your passwords live, move them before it stops opening. Dia's importer carries passwords, history, bookmarks and extensions over (9to5Mac). A password manager with its own app, such as Bitwarden or 1Password, keeps them outside any browser; in camber, Bitwarden's extension opens but its autofill is untested and 1Password doesn't work yet. camber does not import passwords; it saves them again as you sign in.
- Write down your extensions. Open Arc's extensions page and keep the list. camber and Dia install them again from the Chrome Web Store; Zen uses Firefox add-ons instead, so check each one has a Firefox version.
- Export what Arc offers. Settings, Advanced, Export Data gives you pinned tabs and favorites in Arc's own format. It is a second copy, not the file camber reads, and a second copy costs nothing.
- Pick the next browser and import now. Dia and Zen import from an installed Arc, so do it before 22 December. camber reads the copied file, at any time, on any computer.
Where to go
Dia is The Browser Company's own browser and where Arc points its users. It brings the most over: spaces, folders and tab groups, plus passwords, bookmarks, extensions and history (9to5Mac). It is built around an AI assistant and is not open source. If you want everything to come along and don't mind either, start there.
Zen is open source and built on Firefox. Since 1.24b it imports spaces and profiles from Arc and Dia (release notes). It is further along than camber. It runs Firefox add-ons, not Chrome extensions.
camber is Arc's sidebar on Chromium: spaces, pinned tabs, folders, command bar, split view, Peek and little windows, with Chrome Web Store extensions. Open source (GPL-3.0), no account, no AI, for macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel), Windows and Linux. It imports your spaces, pinned tabs and folders from the copied file, and from 0.4.0 saves passwords as you sign in. It is a beta by one person, the builds are not signed yet, and there is no Widevine, so Netflix won't play. The guide has the steps and the changelog has what each release added.
If the sidebar was never the point, Vivaldi and Edge have vertical tabs and workspaces built in, and any Chromium browser takes the same extensions.
After 22 December
Arc won't open, so anything that imports from a running Arc stops working. camber still imports from your copy of StorableSidebar.json (File, Import Arc File; on Windows and Linux the File menu is behind the ≡ button at the top left of the sidebar). If you didn't make a copy, look in Arc's folder anyway: I don't know whether the shutdown removes the file, and until someone checks, assume it might.
Questions
Will Arc keep working after 22 December 2026? No. The Browser Company says Arc won't open on macOS or Windows from 22 December 2026, and Arc accounts are deactivated the same day.
Where are my Arc spaces and pinned tabs stored? In one file on your computer, StorableSidebar.json. On macOS it is in ~/Library/Application Support/Arc/. Copy it somewhere outside Arc's folder before 22 December.
Can I move to camber after Arc has stopped opening? Yes, from a copy of StorableSidebar.json: File, Import Arc File. Dia and Zen import from an installed Arc, so run those while Arc still opens.
Does camber import my Arc passwords? No. camber saves passwords as you sign in to each site again (0.4.0 and later, tried on macOS so far). Dia's importer brings passwords over.
Is camber free? Yes. camber is free and open source under GPL-3.0, with no account, no telemetry and no AI features. It is a beta made by one person and is not connected to The Browser Company.