You're three tabs deep in a research session, and your hand goes to the trackpad to reach the sidebar. Again. Arc was built so you'd stop doing that, but only if the Arc browser keyboard shortcuts are in your fingers rather than a bookmark you never open.
This page is the full reference: tabs, Spaces, the sidebar, Split View, the command bar and remapping, for Mac and Windows. Then comes the part that matters now that Arc is on its way out: which of these keep working somewhere else.
The Arc browser keyboard shortcuts you'll use every day
Most of Arc's daily work runs through five keys: T, S, D, W and Tab. Everything below uses Command on macOS and Control on Windows, per the Arc Help Center.
| Action | Mac | Windows |
|---|---|---|
| New tab / open command bar | Command-T | Control-T |
| Reopen last closed tab | Command-Shift-T | Control-Shift-T |
| Copy current URL | Command-Shift-C | Control-Shift-C |
| Show or hide sidebar | Command-S | Control-S |
| Pin or unpin current tab | Command-D | Control-D |
| Clear unpinned tabs | Command-Shift-K | Control-Shift-K |
| Switch between recent tabs | Control-Tab | Control-Tab |
The sidebar pairing is confirmed in Arc's help article, and the wider list matches the third-party Arc keyboard shortcuts reference for Windows and Mac.
My honest take: Command-Shift-K is the one to learn first. It sweeps every unpinned tab away in one go, which is what keeps a sidebar from turning into a junk drawer. It's also slightly dangerous, so pin the things you care about before you lean on it.
Switching tabs and Spaces
Arc splits navigation into two layers, and the modifier key tells it which one you mean. This is where people trip up, because Mac and Windows differ.
- Tabs on Mac: Command-1, Command-2 and so on jump to a tab by position.
- Spaces on Mac: Control-1, Control-2 and so on jump to a Space.
- Tabs on Windows: Control-1, Control-2 and so on select tabs.
- Spaces on Windows: Alt-1, Alt-2 and so on select Spaces.
- Recent tabs: Control-Tab on both platforms flips between recently used tabs, like Alt-Tab for your browser.
If you'd rather step than jump, the arrow-key combinations are a good place to check in Arc's own shortcut list, since I can't vouch for the exact chords across versions.
How to go back a tab on a Mac
There are two different things people mean. To return to the previous page in the same tab, press Command-[ (Command-Left Arrow also works in most Chromium browsers). To go back to the tab you were just on, press Control-Tab once. It toggles between your two most recent tabs, and that's the habit worth building.
The sidebar and the command bar
The command bar is Arc's real shortcut engine: Command-T on Mac, Control-T on Windows. It opens tabs, but it also searches open tabs, history and actions. Arc's Command Bar reference lists actions such as toggling the sidebar, reopening a closed tab, copying the current URL and clearing Today tabs.
That means you don't have to memorise every chord. If you forget what clears Today, open the bar and type "clear". In my experience it's a bit slower than a shortcut, and quicker than hunting through a menu.
If you can't remember a shortcut, type the action into the command bar. Then notice the chord it shows and use that next time.
Split View shortcuts
Split View has its own three-key family, and it's the same on both platforms. According to Arc's help page:
- Add a split: Control-Shift-Plus.
- Close a split: Control-Shift-Minus.
- Move focus between panels: Control-Shift-1, Control-Shift-2 and so on.
They're awkward at first, with three fingers on the left side. For me they settled in after a day or two. Putting docs on one side and your editor preview on the other is the use case that sold me on it.
Remapping Arc shortcuts
On macOS you can rebind shortcuts in Settings → Shortcuts. Arc's custom-shortcuts guide also says custom shortcuts aren't currently supported on Windows. So Windows users are stuck with the defaults.
A small warning: Arc's shortcut guide dates from 2025, so if you spot a mismatch with what your build does, trust your build. Arc has stopped getting new features, and the docs won't be catching up.
Do Arc browser keyboard shortcuts survive leaving Arc?
In Cra, yes. It uses Arc's default keyboard shortcuts, so the muscle memory carries over. Cra is a free, open-source macOS browser built around the Arc sidebar workflow, and it keeps your hands where they are.
Here's how the main ones map, using Arc's own names:
- Command bar: Command-T opens it for tabs, archive, history and actions.
- Spaces: Control-1 to 9 switches, with a colour and emoji per space.
- Tab switcher: Control-Tab, same as Arc.
- Library: Shift-Command-L for downloads and archived tabs.
- Little Windows: Option-Command-N, Cra's version of Little Arc.
And if one binding doesn't suit you, Cra lets you rebind in Settings. The complete list of Arc browser keyboard shortcuts as Cra handles them is on Cra's keyboard shortcuts page, including the words that run each action from the command bar.
What you'll miss
Cra only runs on Apple silicon Macs with macOS 14 Sonoma or later, so there's no Windows or Intel build. Easels, Boosts, Peek and Notes aren't there yet. Cra's own stance is that it has no AI features and doesn't plan Arc Max-style AI. It's also young, at version 0.1.x. If you rely on Windows, or on Boosts, shortcuts won't fix that.
Why the timing matters
The Browser Company stopped adding features to Arc in May 2025, and on 22 October 2026 announced that Arc will be sunset on 22 December 2026. The company pointed users to Dia, its AI-first browser. Dia is a different design. Zen is another option, and our Zen vs Arc comparison covers it, while a browser with spaces like Arc rounds up the closest alternatives.
There's no export step for Cra. On first launch it reads your Arc spaces, pinned tabs, folders, favorites and archive straight from Arc's files on disk, and Arc doesn't need to be running. You can also import later from the Cra menu → Import, or Settings → Advanced.
A practical way to learn the list
Don't memorise 30 shortcuts. Pick five and use them for a week:
- Command-T for everything that opens or searches.
- Command-S to hide the sidebar when you want the page.
- Command-D to pin what you'll need tomorrow.
- Control-1 to 9 to jump between Spaces.
- Control-Tab to bounce between two tabs.
Add Split View and Command-Shift-K once those feel automatic. Then keep the Cra shortcuts page open in a pinned tab while Arc still runs, so you can compare side by side. Those Arc browser keyboard shortcuts will feel automatic sooner than you'd expect.
Tonight, install Cra next to Arc, press Command-T, and check that Control-1 to 9 lands you in the right space.
Cra is a free, MIT-licensed Mac browser with no account, server or telemetry, made for people who want Arc's sidebar and default shortcuts after 22 December 2026. You can get it at crabrowser.app.