Perplexity launches 'Comet' AI browser on Android with built-in Ad Blocker

San Francisco-based AI search company Perplexity launched its AI-centric Comet browser for Android on Friday. The browser, which features AI-powered search, initially debuted on desktop in July.

The AI company is adding most of the desktop version’s capabilities to Android. People can make Perplexity the default search engine, and they can also mention tabs to ask questions to the assistant. The voice mode allows users to ask questions related to all open tabs. Additionally, the assistant can summarize information from searches performed across all open tabs.

Perplexity stated that the browser can also research and shop on your behalf, and you can view what actions the Comet assistant is taking. Additionally, the Android version has a built-in ad blocker.

The company announced that new features will be added to the app in the coming weeks. These planned additions include a fully functional password manager, quick-action shortcuts for the assistant, and a conversational agent capable of searching across sites and performing actions.

This follows an earlier update this month to the desktop version of the startup’s Comet Assistant, which enabled it to efficiently handle more complex and longer-running tasks, such as transferring data from a website into a spreadsheet.

While Perplexity has chosen to launch on Android, the company stated that it will also be available soon on iOS. The company noted that Android has been a priority due to the volume of carriers and OEMs that have requested the startup to include Comet on their devices and solutions. However, there was no announcement of a partnership from Perplexity.

Earlier this year, the startup partnered with Motorola to preload its app on the company’s devices. However, Perplexity did not specify whether the agreement would also include pre-installing the new Comet browser.

AI browsers have captured the interest of many companies. In addition to Perplexity, OpenAI, Opera, and The Browser Company, which Atlassian now owns, have all launched their own AI browsers. Most of these releases have been for desktop users. The Browser Company released Arc Search for mobile devices last year, but there have not been any significant updates to the app since then. Late last year, the company shifted its focus to a new browser called Dia, which currently lacks a mobile version.

These companies have been trying hard to replace incumbents like Chrome and Safari with AI-powered browsers. However, security experts have raised concerns about vulnerabilities in agents that could pose a security risk.

Perplexity acknowledged these risks in an October blog post, stating that the new paradigms of AI-aided attacks necessitate a fundamental rethinking of security.