Is Apple Set to ‘Sherlock’ Arc? Insights on Potential Market Moves

One of the standout features of Arc Search, the innovative mobile web browser developed by The Browser Company, is its unique capability to search the web and provide concise summaries of the information gathered, rather than presenting a conventional list of search results. This feature, dubbed “Browse for me,” is one of several ways the company is harnessing AI to redefine online search. Another compelling function, “Pinch to summarize,” offers AI-generated summaries for individual web pages. However, these advancement risks falling prey to Apple’s latest “sherlocking” maneuver—a term that describes Apple's practice of adopting ideas from independent developers to enhance its own applications and operating system features.

The term "sherlocking" originated in the late '90s after Apple released a Finder app called Sherlock that mirrored the capabilities of a third-party application named Watson. Since then, any time Apple introduces a feature or app reminiscent of others in the market, it is referred to as “sherlocking.”

In recent years, Apple has faced accusations of sherlocking several products, including Camo, which enabled users to turn their iPhone into a webcam—now integrated as the Continuity Camera feature. Likewise, Sidecar, which allows iPads to function as second screens, sherlocked apps like Duet Display and Luna. The technology giant's buy now, pay later service, Apple Pay Later, has also been criticized for sherlocking existing BNPL options like Klarna. Features such as medication tracking, period tracking, mood logging, journaling, and sleep tracking have previously emerged from the creativity of third-party developers.

With the anticipated launch of iOS 18 later this year, Apple appears to be once again tapping into the pool of ideas from its developer community, potentially affecting Arc. According to a recent report from Bloomberg, Apple plans to unveil a new feature called “smart recaps” alongside various AI enhancements for core applications such as Photos, Notes, and Safari. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman describes smart recaps as tools that will offer users “summaries of missed notifications, individual texts, as well as summaries of web pages, news articles, documents, notes, and other media.”

AI-driven web summarization is one of Arc’s distinguishing features, where the company continues to innovate. For instance, just last week, Arc launched another AI-based search tool named “Call Arc,” which allows users to simply raise their phone to their ear and pose a question. When combined with “Browse for me” and “Pinch to summarize,” Arc is empowering users to utilize AI as a search partner.

The broader trend of AI-driven news summarization has captured the interest of several startups as well, with applications like Particle, developed by former Twitter engineers, smart RSS reader Bulletin, trend summarizer Break the Web, and numerous other iOS apps proliferating in this space.

If Apple incorporates these AI-powered recap features into its Safari browser, the appeal of alternative browsers and apps offering their own AI solutions may diminish. Nevertheless, this shift is unlikely to stifle Arc's growth. The startup behind the web browser is committed to exploring innovative concepts beyond AI summaries, including new strategies to reduce distractions, organize tabs, block ads, and more.

As for The Browser Company, confidence remains high. “This is what makes our job so exhilarating,” said co-founder and CEO Josh Miller. “It motivates us to be even more imaginative and bold.”