The Browser Company has released a new iPhone app called Arc Search that aims to reimagine the online search experience by using artificial experience to present web results in a more easily digestible, curated presentation.
The app follows the company's Arc Browser for Mac, and could be described as an AI chat bot with web access (think perplexity.ai), wrapped in a clean, minimalist browser interface that quickly builds webpages on the fly based on your search query.
The app opens with a search bar and keyboard, and its main AI-powered feature, "Browse for me," reads at least six websites and returns key information about the search query in a neatly presented webpage.
For example, when searching "How to change a car tyre," Arc Search creates a page with sections including steps for changing the tyre, safety precautions, necessary tools, positioning the car, and fitting the spare wheel, with links for further reading.
While Arc Search webpages don't always cite sources, the app does feature a "Dive Deeper" section at the bottom of the page so users can check whether the information that is being delivered to them is credible.
Apart from the "Search for me" feature, which is powered by large-language models from OpenAI and others, users can opt to search with more traditional services like Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, and Ecosia.
In addition, there's a reader mode for clearing cruft from websites, along with the ability to bookmark pages. To keep things tidy, Arc Search also archives tabs after a user-defined period, and blocks GDPR banners and ads/trackers automatically.
a little Sunday surprise for you... meet @browsercompany's 2nd product: 🔍Arc Search🔎 it's a default browser for your iPhone
...that BROWSES FOR YOU the origin story is a bit unusual so I wanted to give you the full backstory: pic.twitter.com/pkVQJYN0QQ — Josh Miller (@joshm) January 28, 2024
Arc Search is available for free on the App Store [Direct Link] and requires iOS 16 or later, while Arc Browser for Mac can be downloaded from the company's website.
