Perplexity launched its Comet browser today on Android. The AI search company first introduced this AI-centric browser in July for desktop computers. The new Android version brings most of the same capabilities found on the desktop.
Users can set Perplexity as their default search engine. They can mention specific tabs to ask the assistant questions and use a voice mode to ask questions about all open tabs. The assistant can also summarize searches across every open tab.
The company states the browser can research and shop on a user’s behalf. You can also see what actions the Comet assistant is taking. Additionally, the Android version includes a built-in ad blocker.
Perplexity plans to add new features to the app in the coming weeks. These will include a conversational agent that can search across websites, shortcuts for the assistant to perform quick actions, and a fully functional password manager.
Earlier this month, the startup updated its Comet Assistant on desktop to handle more complex, longer-running tasks, such as moving data from a website into a spreadsheet.
While Perplexity has launched on Android, the company confirmed it will also come to iOS soon. Android was a priority due to the number of mobile carriers and device manufacturers that asked to include Comet on their devices and solutions. However, no new partnerships were announced. The startup previously partnered with Motorola to preload its app on devices, but it was not specified if this agreement includes pre-installing the new Comet browser.
The AI browser space has attracted interest from several companies. Besides Perplexity, others like OpenAI, Opera, and The Browser Company have launched their own AI browsers. These have largely been desktop releases. The Browser Company released Arc Search for mobile last year, but there have been few significant updates. The company later shifted its focus to a new browser called Dia, which does not yet have a mobile version.
These companies are attempting to challenge established browsers like Chrome and Safari with AI-powered alternatives. However, security experts have raised concerns about vulnerabilities in AI agents that could pose a security risk. In October, Perplexity published a blog post acknowledging these risks. The company stated that some new AI-aided attack methods require a complete rethinking of security from the ground up.