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Following an October beta release for Android, mobile browser, Arc Search, hit general availability Thursday.
Its developer, The Browser Company, is known for its desktop browser Arc. To reach more users and employ AI-based search, the company launched Arc Search for iOS earlier this year. The new version will possibly open up Arc Search’s reach to millions of Android users.
When the startup launched Arc Search on Android, it had limited features, including Browse for Me, ad block, and auto archiving tabs. With the stable version, it gets voice search, adaptable widgets, and icons for the home screen, support for landscape mode, browse for me in your native language, and full Android 12 support.
The company said that within weeks of launching the open beta, more than 100,000 people had downloaded Arc Search through the Play Store.
While the Browser Company promises to keep releasing Android version updates, it’s shifting its attention toward building newer products.
In a video last month, Browser Company CEO, Josh Miller, said that while Arc is in its current version, the startup valued at $550 million is thinking about building new products that are more palatable to a wider audience.
Some users have complained that Arc is difficult to both learn and use, resulting in a loss of audience.
In a conversation with The Verge, Miller said that despite 4x user growth, the company understood that Arc isn’t a mainstream product.
The Browser Company hasn’t fully divulged details about what the final product might look like. Miller has claimed it will let users “glide around the internet” and get stuff done. The company also wants to build a powerful command bar that can help guide to the right result through AI. The company has shown off some of these features as concepts or smaller functional releases within the existing Arc browser.
The challenge for the startup will be balancing Arc power users, while developing a product with broader appeal.
Ivan covers global consumer tech developments at TechCrunch. He is based out of India and has previously worked at publications including Huffington Post and The Next Web. You can reach out to him at im[at]ivanmehta[dot]com
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