Perplexity has been one of the leaders in the AI space since launching back in 2022. And now, it has successfully launched its Chrome-competing web browser, Comet, for Android.
Comet works by allowing the AI-native browser to prompt the assistant to do pretty much anything a user would do in a standard web browser. Perplexity’s site for Comet includes prompts like “summarize what emails are most important for me to respond to this morning,” or even “buy me an office chair that is high quality, comfortable, and cheap.”
This move to make Comet available on Android beats out ChatGPT’s Atlas browser, which does not yet have a mobile version.
Perplexity’s search for search
Perplexity has been looking to branch into search engines for a while.
In August, when there existed the possibility that the Department of Justice could force Google to divest itself from Chrome, Perplexity made a move to buy the biggest browser of them all. The company submitted a bid for Google’s web browser, Chrome, valued at $34.5 billion at the time while Perplexity was worth only $18 billion.
While it was outbid by another AI search engine, Search.com, the DOJ allowed Chrome to stay with Google and Perplexity has continued to build Comet, which it launched in July.
Comet is now available in your pocket
The Android version differs from the PC-based version in that it includes a voice mode, which Perplexity says makes it more convenient for users to give the AI-native browser prompts. It includes handy features available on desktop, including the ability to summarize all open tabs. Perplexity has also noted that the platform has a built-in ad blocker that allows users to whitelist trusted sites or those that would be hampered by using the feature.
The Verge reported that those who use the PC version can’t yet sync bookmarks and browsing histories with the mobile version, but that Perplexity is working on adding those capabilities in the coming weeks.
When Comet became available on PCs a few months ago, Perplexity Max subscribers got it automatically and then it rolled out to a waitlist via invites (now anyone can get it). The Android launch is more widely available, as the listing is already up on the Google Play Store, but you do need to pre-register.
