Arc Browser for Android Beta is Here!
Browsers are like cults - the userbase can grow and develop rabbid fan followings that then make other browsers go "OH! Let's copy that so we can also have that kind of rabbid fan following!" and then it repeats until everyone is developing a Chrome-based browser, and the ones that go their own way slowly take to unsavory practices or stagnate in innovating their unique approach to browsing the web.
As someone who has stuck with FireFox for a long long LOOOOOOONG taffy-goodness time (kudos to you if you get that reference), I've been tempted to dance the tango with a Chromium-based browser yet again... one that... dare I say... felt refreshing, new, actually helpful, and... not trying to siphon as much of my personal data as it can!? Well for now at least - even Google once touted "don't be evil" and now has become one of the biggest Palpatines in what could be considered a council of Sith Lords... Anyways - said browser that I've come to use just as frequently as FireFox is: ARC! And now, ARC is slowly making its way to Android via a Beta rollout of the the app named: "Arc Search"
(Why Arc search? I've no clue. It's not a dedicated search app, it leverages Google, Bing, Duck, etc. It's a legit browser - and NO: Browse for me feature is not the core functionality of the app! The core function is to BROWSE the web! I don't even consider this quirky. It's just a minor annoyance. Bah - I'm no marketing expert though.)
Arc Search - For Android
My Experience with something Different
Avoiding further soapbox soliloquies about being called "Arc Search" - but at the moment if you've been accepted into the Early Access program, you can head over to the Google PlayStore right now and install the App Browser... or, you can try simply searching for "Arc Search Android" and it may just... give you the Play Store Page (your welcome for this unintentional action) directly. Not sure of Google's nor Arc's parent company's, "The Browser Company", policy of installing it directly - so have at thee at your own discretion.
My experience with the mobile browser is overall positive, even in its Beta/Early-Access state. The layout keeps a core tone of simplicity and ease of use - some things I'd probably place/organize elsewhere, but to each their own, right?
Arc Search in action - The Browser Company
Let's go ahead and get into what I liked and disliked so far with the mobile browser though, and I want to preface with that I've been using it on both my phone (Samsung Galaxy Fold 3), and my android tablet (Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 FE) - so using it on a non-standard phone, and a standard tablet, both under Samsung, meaning your experience with devices by other OEMs are likely to have you experience variances.
| The Good | The Bad |
|---|---|
| Simple layout, helps prevent tab hoarding. | Forces perspective into Portrait, awful for when trying to use device with a keyboard attached in Landscape. |
| "Browse For Me" feature is kinda neat, no cap, for real for real. | Inability to install extensions/plugins. |
| Built-in ad-blocker, that's good! | The built-in ad-blocker isn't good at catching all ads, that's bad - BUT, could be fine if it's not an invasive malicious ad, it can help benefit the person/group of the site you're viewing, that's good! |
| Built-in Tracker Blocker. | No sync yet. |
| Built-in Cookie Banners Blocker. | Lack of a traditional bookmark. |
| Catchy, pleasing animations. | Animations can stutter and be a bit choppy. |
| Global Site settings vs Specific Site settings. | Even Pinned tabs get cleaned up. Would be nice to be able to "favorite"/"bookmark" at least 9 tabs like the desktop version. Update: This may have been my first bug experience, will see if it happens again. |
| Setting options to set default choice of opening app via a link, or not. | |
| User-set time for archiving tabs. | |
| Stable, so far I've not experienced any crashes nor any glitches. |
Overall, the browser is easy to recommend for anyone who's looking for a simple, clean, snappy browser that can help keep your tabs clean by automatically archiving unused tabs after X amount of time (check settings). I'm hoping some of the choppy animations that happen from time to time gets ironed out via a future update.
I have to say, though, that this may be my new primary mobile browser!
