Arc Search gets an unusual AI-powered Call Arc feature that offers voice responses

Arc Search for iPhone, the artificial intelligence (AI)-based mobile browsing platform, is getting a new feature that brings voice capabilities. The feature, called Call Arc, is designed as a gamified experience that can only be turned on when users hold the phone up to their ears. It offers verbal responses to queries, eliminating the need to look at a screen and read. The app also has a “Browse for Me” feature that uses various AI models to generate a web page about a search query.

How to activate the Call Arc feature

Call Arc is currently in the launch phase, and most users worldwide should already have it or will receive it in the next few days. To access the feature, they will need to update the Arc Search app via the App Store. The feature activation process is unique and unusual. The Browser company delivered the feature as a calling interface, which turns on when the user holds an iPhone (with the app open) to their ear.

Call Arc feature in the Arc Search app

Once the feature is activated, users will see a call interface with an end call button at the bottom, a speaker button, and a button to read more about responses. A large animated smiley emoticon is placed in the middle with the word ‘Arc’ written on top. There is also a call timer that shows the duration of the call.

Gadgets 360 was able to access the feature and found it to be working normally. There is a slight lag of about four seconds (which may vary depending on your internet connection), but it doesn’t cause any major inconvenience. After the query is processed, a call waiting tone plays until a response is prepared. After that, the AI ​​responds verbally. Users can also see the text on the screen.

The feature is useful in scenarios when the user is out or unable to read the screen to check answers. For example, if a user is cooking and wants to look up a recipe, they can use this feature to listen to the steps without having to leave everything halfway through. Notably, ChatGPT with GPT-4o can also access the Internet and offer verbal responses without delay. Google has yet to release the Gemini app for iOS, but its Android counterpart also has similar verbal response capabilities.