Dia AI Browser Adds Arc Browser Features

Dia: Leveraging Arc's Legacy in the AI Browser Landscape

The new AI-powered web browser, Dia, is building upon the foundations laid by Arc, a previous browser project from The Browser Company. Josh Miller, founder of The Browser Company, has confirmed that Dia will incorporate “Arc’s greatest hits,” including its distinctive sidebar mode.

This approach suggests Dia possesses a potential advantage in the competitive AI browser market. The project benefits from the accumulated knowledge gained during the development of Arc.

Arc's Innovative Approach and Challenges

Arc was initially launched in mid-2023 as a reimagining of the web browser, tailored to contemporary internet usage patterns. Key features included dedicated workspaces for both professional and personal browsing, pinned tab functionality, and a Command Bar resembling Apple’s Spotlight search.

A comprehensive sidebar consolidated the search bar, tab list, bookmarks, and audio controls into a single, accessible location.

However, Arc’s ambitious design proved challenging for widespread adoption. Miller acknowledged that the browser’s complexity and the sheer number of new features presented a steep learning curve for many users.

“Arc was simply too different, with too many new things to learn, for too little reward,” Miller explained in a blog post. He further noted a lack of cohesion in both the browser’s core features and underlying principles.

From Arc's Insights to Dia's Development

Despite not achieving mainstream success as a consumer product, Arc provided valuable insights into user preferences regarding modern browser features. The project spanned over a year, allowing the company to identify which innovations resonated with users and which did not.

These learnings are now directly informing the development of Dia’s feature set.

Miller stated on X that “Dia’s architecture is much better for AI, speed, and security,” while still promising to integrate beloved Arc features, such as the sidebar mode, which has already appeared in early releases of Dia.

Feature Integration and Future Plans

Dia has already adopted other popular features from Arc, including automatic picture-in-picture functionality for Google Meet when switching tabs and customizable keyboard shortcuts.

The team is also exploring the possibility of adapting Arc’s Spaces – separate browsing environments with unique pinned tabs, favorites, themes, history, and cookies – for use within Dia.

Currently, pinned tabs are undergoing testing within Dia.

Miller actively seeks user feedback on potential additions, such as swipeable profiles and Arc Search-inspired enhancements for the Dia mobile app, slated for release in 2026.

Furthermore, Dia is designed to be less resource-intensive and natively integrated with AI technologies for features like memory and agents.

Atlassian Acquisition and Continued Independence

Following its acquisition by Atlassian, The Browser Company maintains operational independence. This allows the team to prioritize the inclusion of “browser basics” – referring to favored Arc features – into Dia.

Integration with Atlassian’s Jira and other applications, such as Linear, is also under development.

The company aims to create a seamless experience between Dia and its users’ existing workflows.