This article applies to Arc on macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android.

Arc Sync is how you can keep your Sidebar along with you on any new device!

When you turn on syncing, all your Spaces, Folders, and Tabs will Sync.

macOS

Please repeat these steps on each device, when activating for the first time:

Update Arc (Arc → “Check for Updates...” from the Mac menu bar)
Open Settings (Command-Comma)
Check the Sync section, and click “Turn On” (shown above)
👆 Repeat this on any other devices.
Keep Arc updated on the latest version to ensure devices stay in sync.

CleanShot 2024-07-30 at 15.27.50@2x.png

Note: If you’ve previously used end-to-end encrypted Arc Sync, have reset your password, and have no access to previously synced devices you may need to use your Recovery Card to access your sync data.

Windows

Please repeat these steps on each device, when activating for the first time:

Update Arc (Arc menu → “Check for Updates”)
Open Settings (Control-Comma)
Toggle "Sidebar Sync" On (shown below)
👆 Repeat this on any other devices.
Keep Arc updated on the latest version to ensure devices stay in sync.

Arc Search for iOS & Android

Arc Sync allows you to access your Sidebar on the go in Arc Search for iOS! Arc Sync is not available on Arc Search for Android.

Here's how to enable Sync on Arc Search:

Open the Arc Search app on your device.
Log in to your Arc account using your credentials. If you don’t have an account, you will need to create one.
Once logged in, you will automatically have access to all your Spaces, Pinned tabs, and Today tabs that have been synced from Arc for desktop.

Note: Tabs created in Arc Search do not currently Sync back to Arc for Desktop.

If syncing does not appear successful:

Check your desktop version for updates via Arc > Check for Updates… in the Mac menu bar
Check the App Store for updates to Arc Search App
Check for any error messages on your devices

Please reach out for further help if none of the above help via "Contact the Team" at the bottom of this webpage.

What doesn't Sync?

The following features will not Sync between devices:

Browsing history
Passwords saved to Arc's password manager
Extensions
Favorites tabs
Profiles
Custom Keyboard Shortcuts settings
Air Traffic Control settings
Tabs created in Arc Search

We hope to support syncing for these features in future!

A note on iCloud based Sync

The older iCloud based syncing method has been deprecated on Arc for macOS as of version 1.48.0 released on June 20, 2024 and has been replaced with end-to-end encrypted Arc Sync.

Arc for Windows and Arc Search for iOS only support end-to-end encrypted Arc Sync.

Please update your version of Arc for macOS to use the new end-to-end encrypted sync by following these steps.

Troubleshooting

Although we aim to make syncing as seamless as possible, there are moments something may go wrong. For details on how to address the specific error you are seeing, take a look at this troubleshooting guide.

The most common method to resolve any error is:
- Go to Arc > Settings in the Mac menu bar or Arc menu > Settings on Windows
- Disable syncing
- Re-enable syncing
- See if the error reappears

Here are the most common errors you may see otherwise, and steps you can take to resolve them:

If you see: Oops! Sync has been disabled as one of your devices is running an old version of Arc. Update to keep syncing! or Please update Arc to keep syncing.
- Head to Arc > Check for Updates… in the Mac menu bar or Arc menu > Check for Updates on Windows
- Complete the available update.

If you see: Sorry! Sync has been disabled due to a verification issue. Enter your password here or go to Settings to re-enter it.
- Go to Arc > Settings in the Mac menu bar or Arc menu > Settings on Windows
- Re-enter your password via "Enter info"
or
- Go to Arc > Sign Out in the Mac menu bar or Arc menu > Help > Sign Out on Windows
- Login again for the login screen that appears

If you see: Oops! Sync has been disabled due to a password change. Go to settings to re-enable it.
- Go to Arc > Settings in the Mac menu bar Arc menu > Settings on Windows
- Re-enter your password via "Enter info"

If you see: Uh-oh! Sync has been disabled due to a network issue. Please restart your Arc.
- On macOS
  - Right-click (two-finger click) the Arc icon in your dock
  - Select "Quit"
  - Re-open the Arc app
- On Windows
  - Use Alt-F4 to quit Arc
  - Re-open the Arc app

If you see: An error occurred. We disabled sync to protect your data :( or Please restart Arc for syncing to take effect.
- On macOS
  - Go to Arc > Quit Arc in the Mac menu bar
  - Re-open Arc and see if this error has cleared up.
- On Windows
  - Use Alt-F4 to quit Arc
  - Re-open Arc and see if this error has cleared up.
If not,
- Contact us for further help via "Contact the Team" at the bottom of this webpage.

Technical Details

To ensure both the privacy and confidentiality of our members, we want syncing to have full end-to-end encryption for all sidebar data. This design seeks to solve this while also keeping the user experience and performance in mind. The flow uses a combination of symmetric and asymmetric encryption which allows Arc to handle the encryption with speed.

What encryption algorithms do you use?

We use Argon2 as the key-derivation function to generate the key to encrypt the public/private key pair.
We use Libsodium sealed boxes for the asymmetric encryption which encrypts your data.

Arc Sync and DNS

You may experience issues enabling Arc Sync while using a personalized DNS service like NextDNS.

To use Arc Sync while your personalized DNS service is enabled follow these steps:

Go to arc://settings
Go to Privacy and security > Security
Scroll to the Advanced section and toggle off Use secure DNS

How can I find out more / I have other technical questions?

We welcome your questions! Please use "Contact the Team" at the bottom of this webpage, then select "Security/Privacy" and use the subject line: "Technical Detail Question about Arc Sync".

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