How to Get Arc Browser Workspaces in Chrome
Keep Chrome's speed and extensions while enjoying Arc-style visual space management
The **Arc Browser** by The Browser Company has gained massive popularity, largely due to its unique tab management features: vertical sidebars, nested workspaces, and a quick command palette (⌘+T). However, switching browsers entirely is a major hurdle. Google Chrome has a superior extension ecosystem, better performance on certain platforms, and is deeply integrated into many developers' and designers' workflows.
If you love the layout and concept of Arc's spaces but want to stay on Chrome, you can recreate these features using a modern arc browser spaces alternative for chrome. Here is the step-by-step setup to turn Google Chrome into an Arc-style productivity powerhouse using the extension **Tabnxt**.
“You don't need to switch browsers to get clean sidebars and visual workspaces. Recreate the Arc experience inside Chrome with zero-latency Extensions.”
Recreating Arc Browser Features inside Google Chrome
1. Arc Workspaces ➔ Tabnxt Project Spaces
Arc allows you to swipe between separate workspaces (e.g., Work, Personal, Side Hustle), keeping your tab sets completely isolated. You can recreate this inside Chrome using Tabnxt. By launching custom spaces inside the Tabnxt dashboard, you can open and close dedicated sets of tabs in a single click, ensuring your personal browsing never bleeds into your professional workspace. This allows you to save browser sessions cleanly by category.
2. Arc's Command Bar ➔ Tabnxt AI Super Search
One of Arc's best features is the quick command bar. Pressing a keyboard shortcut lets you search tabs, find pages, and switch workspaces instantly. Tabnxt replicates this with its built-in **AI Super Search**. Pressing ⌘ + Shift + K (or Ctrl+Shift+K on Windows) pulls up a semantic command bar over your active tab, letting you run searches across your entire workspace, suspend pages, or jump between tabs without touching your mouse.
3. Arc's Tab Clean Up ➔ Tabnxt Active Tab Suspension
Arc automatically archives tabs you haven't opened in 12 hours. Tabnxt takes this a step further by offering customizable active tab suspension. Instead of archiving and closing your active work, Tabnxt suspends inactive tabs to free up RAM while keeping them visible in your workspaces. This reduces memory usage by up to 95%, ensuring Chrome remains snappy. Refer to our guide on reducing Chrome RAM for more.
Step-by-Step Setup Guide
Step 1: Install Tabnxt
Download Tabnxt from the Chrome Web Store. It is a lightweight, Manifest V3 native extension that replaces your blank new-tab page with a highly aesthetic workspace dashboard.
Step 2: Create Your Spaces
Open the dashboard and create your spaces, selecting custom emojis and colors to match your projects. You can let the built-in AI automatically scan your open tabs and organize them into spaces for you.
Step 3: Master the Keyboard Shortcuts
Use the following shortcuts to navigate like a pro:
- ⌘ + Shift + K: Open the AI Super Search.
- ⌘ + Shift + S: Save your current window setup as a new session.
- ⌘ + Shift + M: Manually suspend all inactive background tabs instantly.
Conclusion
Recreating Arc's workspaces inside Chrome gives you the best of both worlds: Chrome's unmatched performance, stability, and extension support combined with Arc's visual workspace aesthetics and shortcut-driven workflow. By using Tabnxt, you get a clean, zero-clutter browser experience without having to migrate to a new browser.