Perplexity Launches Comet: An AI-Native Browser For Android

San Francisco - The competitive landscape for artificial intelligence on mobile devices has intensified with a significant new entry. Perplexity AI, known for its answer-engine search platform, has officially launched its Comet browser on the Android operating system. This marks the first time a major browser built from the ground up with AI integration at its core is available on smartphones. Previously launched on desktop and released for free worldwide in October 2025, Comet for Android brings the promise of a transformed mobile web experience directly into users' pockets.

The launch represents a strategic expansion in Perplexity's rivalry with giants like OpenAI and Google. While OpenAI's ChatGPT Atlas browser is currently limited to macOS, and Google has integrated its Gemini AI into Chrome, Perplexity is betting on a dedicated, cross-platform AI-native experience. The company stated that Android was prioritized due to high demand from device manufacturers and carriers seeking to include Comet on their solutions. An iOS version is confirmed to be in development.

Comet for Android is not a simple port of its desktop counterpart but a redesign for the mobile form factor. At its heart is the Comet Assistant, an AI that users can invoke with a single tap to ask questions, request tasks, or seek explanations while browsing. A key feature is its ability to understand context across all open tabs, allowing it to summarize a research session spanning multiple webpages or answer questions about the collective content.

Read: GPT-5.2 Unleashed: OpenAI's Strategic Counter To Google's AI Dominance

The mobile browser incorporates several advanced features designed for on-the-go use. It includes voice recognition technology, enabling users to chat verbally with the assistant to find information without typing. To combat mobile web clutter, Comet comes with a built-in ad blocker to stop spam and pop-ups, though users can whitelist trusted sites. Perplexity is also the default search engine within the browser, providing concise, summarized answers to queries.

For Perplexity, this launch is the latest step in its mission to "support the world's curiosity". The company's data shows that when users first downloaded Comet on desktop, the number of questions they asked increased dramatically, suggesting the tool actively encourages exploration. By making the browser free on both desktop and now mobile, Perplexity aims for wide adoption, positioning Comet as a viable alternative to traditional browsers that it argues have stifled genuine curiosity.

The rollout of AI browsers like Comet is part of a broader industry shift, moving beyond traditional "ten blue links" toward an "answer engine" model where the browser synthesizes information proactively. However, this new paradigm brings fresh considerations. Security experts have raised questions about potential vulnerabilities in AI agents that can take actions on behalf of users, a concern Perplexity has acknowledged and stated requires rethinking security from the ground up.

Future updates for Comet on Android are already planned. Perplexity has told media it aims to add a more advanced conversational agent capable of searching across sites and taking actions, shortcuts for quick assistant tasks, and a fully functional password manager in the coming weeks. With these updates, Comet seeks to become not just a portal to the web, but an indispensable, proactive personal assistant for the mobile age.

---

AI Assistant Android AI Browser ChatGPT Competitor Comet Browser Mobile Browser Perplexity AI