The browser industry is dominated by Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and a few others. Many users don’t even think of using any other browser other than the popular ones. However, there is a relatively new browser in the market that is making highlights for its unique browsing experience. Arc browser is considered the better alternative to standard browsers and the best one for students. So, let’s uncover all about it and see why students should use Arc browser.
Part 1. What Is Arc Browser?
Arc is a web browser launched in 2022 by the Browser Company, which is run by a team of alums from Chrome, Instagram, Pinterest, Snap, Slack, and more.
Arc browser is basically an “internet computer” that rethinks many browsing elements we are used to. It eradicates the clicks, distractions, and clutter with standard browsers by offering vertical tabs, a split-screen mode for tabs, and spaces to organize your academic and personal browsing diligently.
Image source: ARC
Arc browser is currently available for macOS and iOS while it has also started the beta test for Windows, which is likely to release this year.
Part 2. The Unique Features of Arc Browser for Students
To better understand why students should use the Arc browser, let’s closely look at the unique features of the browser:
1. Vertical Tabs and Bookmarks
One of the dominant features of the Arc browser is its vertical tabs and bookmarks. Instead of placing the tabs on the top bar like in standard browsers, Arc places the tabs vertically.
In standard browsers, it becomes messy if we open multiple tabs. In fact, it becomes difficult to view the tab names or keep them organized after opening multiple tabs. Arc browser nicely tackles it with vertical tabs. It allows you to open as many tabs as you want and then easily navigate between them vertically. In short, it makes switching between tabs a lot easier. Similarly, it makes it easy to organize and access bookmarks vertically.
2. Spaces
If we have to say one reason why students should use Arc browser, then it would be its “Spaces” feature. You can create space for each class in which each space can have its own set of tabs, bookmarks, and pinned tabs. On top of that, you can customize the color of spaces for better organization. With spaces, you get the best way to organize your academic studies and personal browsing without losing track.
Image source: Efficient App
Similar to organizing your internet activities, you can also organize your academic documents and assignments with UPDF. UPDF is a powerful document reader, annotator, and organizer tool. It provides cloud storage in which you can save your documents and then access them easily from Windows, Mac, Android, or iOS devices from anywhere.
3. Pinned Tabs
As students, we have a few websites to visit regularly. Whether it’s the university library, student portal, or any other, Arc browser allows you to pin those tabs in different spaces. All you have to do is drag the tab above the “new tab” button to make it a pinned tab. Once done, that tab becomes easily accessible from that space. This way, you can specify different pinned tabs for different spaces and quickly visit them whenever you want.
Image source: ARC
4. Auto Clear Tabs
Who does not have a habit of leaving tabs open even when not in use? To tackle that, the Arc browser comes with a dedicated auto clear tabs feature. The browser can clear unused tabs after 12 hours, 24 hours, 7 days, or even 30 days, depending on your preferred settings. This way, you can have more organized spaces with auto-clearing of unused tabs.
5. Split Screen
Another leading reason why students should use Arc browser is its split screen feature. Arc browser allows you to split the browser screen and view multiple tabs at once. For instance, you can view the assignment instructions on one tab, relevant YouTube videos on another tab, and Google Docs on another tab. This way, you can multi-task and have an enhanced browsing experience.
If you want a similar split-screen experience when reading PDFs or other documents, you can get it with UPDF. UPDF allows you to view two or more PDFs at once by splitting them into separate tabs. So, use UPDF if you want a similar split-screen experience with documents.
6. Access Chrome Extensions
Arc is Chrome-based, which means you get access to all Chrome extensions. So, you can install all the extensions that help you in your academic work, such as Notion, Pinterest, Readwise, etc. Moreover, the extensions are easily accessible from the left side.
7. Favorites
For websites that you regularly visit, Arc browser allows you to save them as favorites. Click CMD + t + type “favorite” to save websites and access them easily.
8. Command Bar
Arc browser provides a command bar through which you can do certain activities instantly. You can launch the command bar by clicking Command + T and then use the below commands:
· New window
· New space
· Clear today
· Reset space
· Copy the current URL
· New note
· Add split view
· And many more
Image source: CMSWIRE
In short, the smart use of the command bar lets you save time and quickly perform certain tasks. Moreover, you can also use different keyboard shortcuts, such as:
· Command + Tab: Cycle through open tabs
· Command + S: Show/hide the left sidebar.
· Command + Option + N: Launch Little Arc — the mini Arc version for rapid searches.
· Command + Shift + C: Copy the URL to the clipboard.
9. iCloud Syncing
Arc offers iCloud syncing, which means you can sync across different Macs. You can switch between your personal or college computers and still access the same Arc with the same tabs, spaces, etc. However, you have to make sure you only use Mac computers because Arc is still not available on Windows.
The alternative way to sync your documents and assignments across Windows and Mac computers or even Android/iOS smartphones is via UPDF. UPDF cloud storage can sync your documents from Windows/Mac or Android/iOS and then let you access them from any device.
10. Easels & Notes
Arc capabilities are beyond just browsing. It offers an “Easels & Notes” feature, which is a super whiteboard where you can gather all ideas/screenshots from the internet. This is really helpful if you are gathering resources for your project/assignment or brainstorming ideas.
Image source: CMSWIRE
As a bonus tip, you can now also consume lengthy content quickly with an AI summarizer of UPDF. For instance, if you have to read a lengthy research paper, you can ask UPDF AI to summarize the research paper and get key insights within seconds. Moreover, you can also use UPDF AI to get an explanation of complex passages or get assistance in ideating, writing, or rewriting content. So, download UPDF and get the best AI assistance when reading documents.
11. Screenshot
Arc browser comes with a built-in screenshot feature. You can quickly take screenshots and even crop images instantly. This can be useful when you have to paste an image from a website in your notes/assignments.
Conclusion
Arc browser is a game-changer in the browser world. It is changing our way of browsing the web by offering a more organized and modernized way to manage online activities. That’s why students should use the Arc browser to better organize their classes, notes, assignments, and personal browsing. On top of that, using UPDF as your document viewer and editor tool can further elevate how you read and edit documents. So, it’s time to take action and get the best out of Arc browser and UPDF.
