The Browser Company launches Arc Search on Android

The Browser Company, the startup behind the Arc alternative web browser, announced on Thursday that it is launching Arc Search browser for Android in open beta, becoming a cross-platform app.

Arc, already had apps in the Apple ecosystem until last year, and then launched a client for Windows in April before bringing it to Android. The company said it tested Arc Search for Android with 18,000 users for nearly four weeks in a closed beta ahead of today’s public launch.

Earlier this year, the company launched Arc Search for iPhone with a primary focus on search. The “Browse on My Behalf” feature, which is also available on the Android version, browses multiple websites and creates a new page for your search term for you.

The company’s premise was that for things like finding a recipe, you have to look through a lot of content without finding important information. With the “Browse on My Behalf” feature, an artificial intelligence-based algorithm eliminates noise and presents relevant information.

However, people have criticized Arc Search’s approach, pointing out that AI search would harm the small websites whose content these tools summarize. In a recent episode of the Decoder podcast, The Browser Company CEO Josh Miller said that the company is improving the citations of these results so that people are more likely to click on outbound links.

“We are currently in many talks with media companies. Ultimately, I believe that media companies and publishers need to make money. And I think the truth is, as you know, the scale of this isn’t going to mean it’s going to work for everyone, but we’re trying our best behind the scenes and externally to be better here,” Miller said.

The Android application also has an ad, pop-up and banner blocker, as well as an automatic bookmark archiving function. The company said it will make the Android app generally available this fall.

At launch, the Android version lacks some of Arc Search’s features for iOS, including pinch-to-summarize and “call to ask” features.

Earlier this year, The Browser Company raised $50 million at a valuation of $550 million. However, the company does not currently generate any revenue. At Decode, Miller suggested that when the company releases its 2.0 products, it will collect fees from companies and individuals.