Welcome to Arq
Arq is your own private computer for the apps you love — photos, media, files, and more — running at home on hardware you own. No monthly cloud bills for your own data, no company reading your files. Just your apps, on your computer, reachable from anywhere.
This is where you'll find everything you need to set up your Arq, run apps, and get the most out of it.
What is an Arq?
An Arq is a computer that lives in your home and runs self-hosted apps for you. It runs on Ubuntu Server — the same dependable software that powers much of the internet — and it's headless: there's no monitor or keyboard plugged into it. It just sits quietly in the background doing its job, and you set it up and control everything from the Arq app on your phone.
- You own it. The computer and the data on it are yours. Your photos and files never leave your Arq unless you choose to share them.
- It looks after itself. Apps are installed, kept up to date, and kept running automatically. There's nothing to patch or maintain.
- It's yours to reach anywhere. Use your apps at home on your network, or from anywhere in the world.
Getting started
- Set up your Arq. Plug it in at home and follow the steps in the Arq app to connect it to your account.
- Open the app store. Browse the apps available for your Arq.
- Install your first app. One tap installs it — your Arq handles the rest and keeps it updated from then on.
The app store
Everything your Arq can run lives in the in-app store. Each app is packaged to run well on your hardware, installs in a tap, and updates automatically in the background — so you're always on the latest version without lifting a finger.
And there's no juggling accounts. One login signs you into (almost) everything: install an app and you're already in — no new sign-up, no extra password to remember. The majority of apps on your Arq recognise you the moment you open them, because your identity is set up for them automatically. Invite the people you live with, and each household member gets their own login, ready to go across your apps from day one — one sign-in each to the photos, media, and files your household shares. It's the convenience of a big-tech account, on a computer you actually own.
App guides
Step-by-step help for the apps you can run on your Arq:
- Plex — stream your personal movie and TV library to any device.
More guides are added here as apps arrive in the store.
Your data, your computer
Privacy isn't a setting on your Arq — it's the whole point. Your files, photos, and libraries live on the computer in your home, not on someone else's servers. You decide what's shared and with whom. When you're done with an app, its data is yours to keep or remove.
Need help?
Can't find what you're looking for? Reach us from the Arq app — we're happy to help you get set up and running.