What Happens to Your Arc Data When Arc Shuts Down

After 22 December, Arc won't open, not even to reach the data on your own computer. Here's what happens when, what Arc's export button actually saves, and what to do now.

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The Browser Company announced on 22 October 2026 that it is sunsetting Arc. Most coverage has focused on the final date, but there are four, and one of them comes a week before the end.

The key dates

Until 22 December Arc gets basic fixes only, and support covers only problems that affect many people, such as Arc not opening.

Your data lives in two places

On your computer: your Spaces, tabs, bookmarks, history and passwords. The Browser Company can't see these. After 22 December, you won't be able to open Arc to get to them. The files will probably stay on your disk, but the company says Arc itself won't open, and nothing guarantees that other tools will keep reading them.

On The Browser Company's servers: your account details, such as your name, email address and when you joined, and a record of how you've used Arc. You can request a copy or ask for deletion until 15 December. After 22 December, the company says, it will no longer be able to retrieve Arc data for requests. You don't need to delete your account yourself; deactivation and deletion happen automatically.

What Export Data actually saves

Arc's new Export Data button sounds like a full backup, but it isn't. It saves a single Markdown file, Arc Data Export.md, with a section for each Space listing its Favorites, pinned tabs, folders and other sidebar tabs as links.

That file:

• does keep a readable record of every Space and pinned tab;
• does not include passwords, history, cookies, extensions, Boosts or Easels;
• cannot be imported by any browser as bookmarks. It's a list you'd have to re-add by hand.

To find it: on Mac, Arc → Settings → Advanced → Export Data; on Windows, Settings (Ctrl+,) → Advanced → Export Spaces and tabs → Export Data.

It's still worth doing as a record. But to actually move your setup, use your new browser's importer, which reads Arc's files directly.

Your checklist before 22 December

1. Pick your next browser and run its importer while Arc still opens. Dia and Zen Browser import your Spaces directly; Helium brings them in as bookmarks; Vivaldi needs a bookmarks file. Our Arc alternatives guide compares them.
2. Export your passwords. Open arc://password-manager/settings → Export passwords. Each Arc profile has its own passwords, so export once per profile. Delete the CSV once it's imported.
3. Run Export Data to keep a readable list of your Spaces.
4. Back up Arc's sidebar file. It's the only copy of your Spaces structure, and every converter reads it. On Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Arc/StorableSidebar.json. On Windows it sits inside Arc's app package under %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\.
5. Export your Easels: Library → Easels → Export All Easels. You get a ZIP with each Easel as a web page. Only Easels you created are included.
6. Write down your Boosts. They can't be exported. If one matters, copy its CSS or code by hand.
7. Request your account data by 15 December if you want a copy, through Arc's help centre.
8. On your phone, export your open tabs from Arc Search before 23 November: on iPhone, Tab Switcher → Settings → Export Data; on Android, Tab Switcher → Settings → Storage → Export data.

What about Arc Search on my phone?

On iPhone, Arc Search keeps working as a plain browser after 22 December, without sign-in, sync or AI. On Android it's removed from the Play Store and from devices. Dia has no mobile app, so if you want a replacement that syncs with your desktop, pick a browser with a phone app: Vivaldi, Microsoft Edge and Orion (iPhone and iPad) all have one. Our best mobile browsers list has more.

Sources

• The Browser Company: Arc Sunset: Key Dates and What to Expect, Arc Sunset FAQ, How do I export my data from Arc?, Arc Search help and Delete my Arc account
• TechRepublic: Arc browser shutdown and data export