If you've heard about the Arc Browser, you've probably heard how drastically unconventional it is. This is a browser that you can't switch to lightly. You need to commit to tackling the learning curve; and boy, what a steep curve it is.

Of course, once you get used to the browser, you'll forget how different it was. From its very basic philosophy about tab management, which believes in archiving tabs after 12 hours of no use, to a missing home page and a new tab page, Arc really does things differently. And it's getting results. Once you make the switch to the Arc Browser, there's very little chance you'd want to go back to any other browser, despite the glitches in Arc that can sometimes frustrate you.

But simply getting the basics down isn't enough when you want to master a web browser. So, here are some tips and tricks that'll make you a power user when it comes to Arc.

1. Double-click the Empty Sidebar to Create a New Tab

Using the Command Bar to open a new tab, which can be opened rather quickly with the Command + T keyboard shortcut, is one of the allures of the Arc Browser.

But for users who are faster with the mouse in their workflow, there's an even faster way to open a New Tab. You can double-click on the empty sidebar to quickly open the Command Bar to create a New Tab.

2. View the Toolbar

By default, the toolbar with the URL, back, forward, and reload buttons appears on the top of the sidebar in Arc and not the website as we're used to on other browsers. But if you're having trouble getting used to it, you can view the toolbar "conventionally".

  1. Go to the menubar in the top-left and click on 'View'. Then, select 'Show Toolbar' from the menu. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Cmd + Shift + D.
  1. The URL bar, site controls button, and the back, forward, and reload buttons will appear from the sidebar, and you'll have a more traditional toolbar at the topmost part of the pane where the website is open.

    To go back to viewing it the Arc way, select View > Hide Toolbar.

3. Quickly Open Sites in Split View

For times when switching back and forth between websites is too much work, you can open them in Split View.

Arc offers two Split Views - horizontal and vertical. You can easily open either of them by clicking the 'Split View' buttons that appear after hovering at the top-right corner of the Arc window. Or, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + + to quickly add a right split. Everyone knows that.

But did you know that you can also quickly go into Split View by holding down the Option button and clicking a tab? Well, now you do! You can even click your current tab while holding down the Option button on the keyboard to enter the Split View with two same tabs.

4. Swap Out Split View Panel

For times when you want to keep working in Split View but add another tab instead of the ones you're working with, you don't need to close one tab and enter the Split View again.

Simply use the Cmd + L keyboard shortcut while selecting the tab you want to swap (it'll be highlighted with a boundary) and open a new tab from the Arc Command Bar that'll open.

5. Archive Tabs in One Go

While you rarely have to worry about archiving tabs in the Arc browser as it auto-archives them after a certain period, if you're having a tab overload, you don't need to individually archive them.

  1. To archive all the tabs in your Today section, hover over the sidebar, and a 'Clear' option will appear; click it.
  1. You can also right-click on an individual tab and select 'Archive Tabs Below' from the context menu to archive all tabs below it.

6. Have Different Favorites

One of the main features of the Arc Browser is Favorites and Pinned Tabs that offer you quick access to your most visited websites. But the fact about Favorites is that they stay the same across Spaces.

But here's a little tip for you: You can have different Favorites by using different Profiles for your Spaces. You can create a new Profile either while creating a Space or by right-clicking on the sidebar and going to Profile > New Profile from the context menu. Then, you can assign it to a new Space.

7. Open a New Tab from Content in Clipboard

Using the keyboard shortcut Cmd + Option + V, you can quickly open a new tab in the Arc Browser from content in your clipboard, whether it's a word, phrase, or a URL.

8. Use Air Traffic Control

To make sure that links being opened from outside the Arc Browser open in the correct Space, use Air Traffic Control. For example, you can redirect all Zoom links to open in your Work Space.

  1. Open Arc Settings (Cmd + ,) and switch to the 'Links' tab. Then, click the 'Air Traffic Control' option at the bottom.
  1. In the Air Traffic Control window, configure the domain you want to reroute.
  1. You can even configure a domain to open directly in the main browser instead of a Little Arc window.

9. Separate Downloads Folder for Different Profiles

You can create separate default Downloads folder for separate Profiles to better organize your downloaded files.

  1. Open Arc Settings and switch to the 'General' tab. Then, click the Profiles drop-down option.
  1. Select the profile from the drop-down menu for which you want to change the 'Downloads' folder.
  1. Next, change the 'Downloads' location by selecting a folder.

10. Create New Notes by Default in the App of your Choice

Arc Browser lets you create notes, but if you already use another Notes app, you can configure the browser to open it whenever you want to create a new note.

  1. Open Arc settings and switch to the 'General' tab.
  2. Then, click the drop-down option next to 'New Documents' and select where you want to create new notes by default. It supports Notion, Google Docs, Word, and Confluence (with the latest update, which is being rolled out slowly).

You can also have different settings for different profiles.

11. Filter Archived Tabs

While you can find the archived tabs easily by going to the library, sometimes it can be overwhelming to find the tab you're looking for in a sea of tabs. But you can use filters to make the job easier.

  1. Click the 'Filter' option.
  1. Then, you can filter the tabs depending on whether they were closed manually or auto-closed and which Space they were closed in. You can also filter the tabs that were open in a Little Arc window.

12. Rename Pinned Tabs

While Pinned Tabs take the name of the website/ webpage by default, if that organization system is not working for you, it's easy to rename them.

You can quickly rename your pinned tabs by double-clicking the tab.

13. Delete Suggestions in the Command Bar

If there are suggestions appearing in the Command Bar that you would like not to see, you can delete them. Go to the suggestion and press Cmd + Option + Delete.

14. Open New Tabs from the Previous or Next Page

If you left-click/ middle-click the back/ forward buttons from the URL bar while holding down the Cmd key, you can quickly open those pages in New Tabs while your current page remains intact.

15. Other Quick Shortcuts

Like every other browser, learning some shortcuts can vastly improve your experience with the Arc Browser.

  1. Use the keyboard shortcut Fn + F to toggle the window into fullscreen.
  2. Click on any link while holding down the Shift key to open it in a Peek.
  3. If you accidentally close a Peek or other tabs, you can quickly reopen them using the Cmd + Z or Cmd + Shift + T keyboard shortcuts.
  4. You can quickly open a New Note alongside your current window in Split Mode using the keyboard shortcut Option + Ctrl + N. You can also type 'New Note (in Split)' in the Command Bar.
  5. You can duplicate your current tab by clicking the 'Reload' button while holding down the Cmd key on the keyboard.
  6. Arc Browser has a great way of switching between your recent tabs using the Recent Tab switcher. But you can also quickly close any tabs by continuing to hold the Ctrl key and pressing the W key while the desired tab is selected.
  7. Using the keyboard shortcut Cmd + Shift + C, you can copy your current URL in a jiffy.

The Arc browser takes some getting used to, but mastering its many tips and tricks can truly make web browsing a seamless experience. With features like archiving tabs, split view, custom profiles and favorites, extensive keyboard shortcuts, and the ability to customize default apps, the Arc browser empowers users to organize their online activities in a way that works perfectly for their needs and workflow.