Perplexity Comet Browser: The AI Browser That Actually Clicks for You

Perplexity Comet browser isn’t another web browser with a chatbot crammed in the corner. Released by Perplexity AI in July 2025 for desktop and November 2025 for Android, this AI-native browser fundamentally reimagines how you interact with the web. Instead of just answering questions, Perplexity Comet browser actually navigates websites, clicks elements, fills forms, and collects data on your behalf. It’s a genuine AI web assistant browser that moves from “search” to “do.”

The browser launched initially for Perplexity Max subscribers at $200 per month, then became free for everyone in October 2025. With millions of users already on the waitlist and active adoption growing rapidly, Comet represents a genuine challenge to Chrome’s dominance. But does it deliver on the promise of agentic AI browsing, or is it just clever marketing around familiar features?

Perplexity Comet browser

If Comet Browser can “see” webpages and act, imagine the same idea for conversations. Granola turns meetings into structured notes, highlights action items, and keeps context you can actually reuse—without the usual copy-paste chaos. Here’s our review of Granola and how it upgrades your workflow: https://aiinovationhub.com/granola-ai-meeting-notes-ai-notepad-review/

What Perplexity Comet Browser Can Actually Do (Beyond Chat)

Unlike traditional browsers where AI sits passively in a sidebar, Perplexity Comet browser integrates its AI web assistant browser directly into your workflow. The Comet Assistant understands what you’re viewing, tracks your intent across tabs, and performs actions without constant prompting.

Core capabilities include:

• Page-aware summarization: Click any webpage and get instant bullet-point summaries with source citations. No copy-pasting needed
• Cross-tab synthesis: Ask questions that span multiple open tabs. Comet reads all of them simultaneously and provides unified answers
• Real-time navigation: Watch the browser automatically click links, scroll pages, and navigate multi-step processes
• Form automation: Comet can fill out fields, select options, and complete web forms based on your instructions
• Email and calendar integration: Connect Gmail and Google Calendar for intelligent email drafting, meeting scheduling, and inbox organization
• Voice interaction: Use voice mode to ask questions hands-free while browsing
• Shopping assistance: Compare prices across tabs, find promo codes, and even complete purchases

What makes this AI browser automation different from browser extensions? Context awareness. Comet remembers what you’re working on, maintains conversation history across sessions, and adapts its responses based on your browsing patterns. According to official data from Perplexity, users who download Comet increase their question volume by 6-18 times on the first day, suggesting the integrated experience genuinely changes behavior.

The assistant runs on Perplexity’s search engine, which prioritizes factual accuracy and transparent citations over generative responses. This makes Comet particularly strong for research, fact-checking, and situations where source verification matters.

Perplexity Comet browser

It Doesn’t Just Search—It Acts: Real Automation Scenarios

The term “agentic AI browser” sounds like marketing speak until you watch Comet actually perform multi-step tasks. Unlike AI that simply suggests actions, this AI browser automation actually executes them.

Travel planning example: Tell Comet “Find flights from Dublin to Barcelona next month under €150.” It navigates to booking sites, enters your criteria, scrolls through results, compares options across multiple tabs, and presents findings in a structured format. You’re not switching windows or copying data manually.

Email management: Ask “Summarize all unread emails from last week and draft responses to the urgent ones.” Comet accesses your Gmail, categorizes messages, generates draft replies maintaining your writing tone, and flags items needing immediate attention.

Comparative research: Open five product review pages. Ask “Which laptop has the best battery life under $1000?” Comet reads all tabs simultaneously, extracts relevant specifications, and delivers a comparison without you scrolling through each page individually.

Price monitoring: Looking at an online store? Request “Find if this product is cheaper elsewhere.” Comet opens competitor sites, searches for matching items, and presents a price comparison table.

The automation isn’t perfect. AI actions can be slower than manual clicks, occasionally miss context, or require clarification. But the fundamental shift from “AI suggests what to click” to “AI actually clicks it” represents a meaningful evolution in how browsers function.

According to IBM’s hands-on testing, Comet works best for research-heavy workflows, comparison shopping, and document synthesis. It struggles with highly visual interfaces, complex authentication sequences, and scenarios requiring nuanced judgment about which elements to interact with.

Perplexity Comet browser

Comet vs Chrome vs Edge Perplexity Comet browser: The Comparison Table

How does Perplexity Comet browser stack up against established browsers? Here’s a detailed breakdown comparing this AI browser vs Chrome and Microsoft Edge:

 

 

The performance gap (Comet at 29.3 vs Chrome at 34.3) reflects the computational overhead of running AI models locally. For most users, this difference is imperceptible in daily use, though it matters for users running dozens of simultaneous tabs or resource-intensive web applications.

Perplexity Comet browser

Interface and Usability Perplexity Comet browser: Tabs, Context, and Speed

Perplexity Comet browser builds on Chromium, so the core interface feels immediately familiar to Chrome users. The main differences appear in how the agentic AI browser organizes workspace and presents information.

Key interface elements:

• Assistant sidebar: Opens with Alt+A (Windows) or Opt+A (Mac). Always accessible without disrupting your current view
• Home page widgets: Customizable dashboard showing Privacy Snapshot, recent searches, and quick access shortcuts
• Spaces feature: Create dedicated project zones within the browser where related tabs, notes, and conversation threads stay organized together
• Context indicators: Visual cues showing when the assistant is actively reading page content or accessing connected services
• Voice mode button: One-tap access to hands-free interaction

The sidebar design deserves particular attention. Unlike Edge’s Copilot or Chrome’s experimental AI panels that feel bolted-on, Comet’s assistant integrates naturally into the browsing flow. It doesn’t hijack your viewport or cover content unexpectedly. The assistant stays aware of what you’re doing without requiring explicit permission for each action.

Workflow efficiency improvements:

According to user testing documented by XDA Developers, the cross-tab context feature eliminates 60-70% of manual tab switching during research sessions. Instead of reading five different product pages separately, you ask one question spanning all of them.

The Spaces feature solves the “I had 50 tabs open for that project and accidentally closed them all” problem. Each Space maintains its own tab collection, conversation history, and assistant context. Switching between projects becomes instant rather than archaeological.

Speed-wise, Comet doesn’t match Chrome’s raw performance benchmarks, but it changes the performance equation. Tasks that would require five minutes of manual clicking, reading, and copy-pasting often complete in 30-60 seconds via assistant automation. The question isn’t “which browser loads pages faster” but rather “which browser helps me finish tasks faster.”

Perplexity Comet browser

Download and Setup Perplexity Comet browser: Getting Started with Comet

Ready to try this AI web assistant browser? Here’s the complete Comet browser download and installation process:

Step 1: Download from Official Source

Visit perplexity.ai/comet or perplexity.ai/download-comet. The installer is approximately 200MB. Comet is available for:

• Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
• macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel)
• Android 8.0+

Step 2: Installation Process

For macOS:

1. Open the downloaded .dmg file
2. Drag the Comet icon to Applications folder
3. Launch Comet from Applications
4. First launch may require approval in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Allow app from identified developer

For Windows:

1. Run the .exe installer
2. Follow the setup wizard (default settings work for most users)
3. Choose whether to set Comet as default browser during installation
4. Launch from Start menu or desktop shortcut

For Android: Download from Google Play Store – search “Comet Browser” or “Perplexity Comet”

Step 3: Initial Configuration

After launching Comet:

1. Optional: Sign in with your Perplexity account (not required but enables cross-device features)
2. Set default search engine: Perplexity AI is recommended for full agentic features. Changing to Google/Bing will disable some AI capabilities
3. Import bookmarks: If migrating from Chrome/Edge, Comet can import your bookmarks, passwords, and browsing history
4. Configure privacy settings: Access via comet://settings/privacy to adjust tracking protection, ad blocking level, and assistant data access
5. Connect services (optional): Grant Gmail and Google Calendar access if you want email and scheduling automation

Pro tip: Try Comet alongside your current browser for a week before fully switching. Keep Chrome/Edge for mission-critical workflows while testing Comet for research and comparison shopping.

The first-run experience includes a brief interactive tutorial showing how to use the assistant sidebar, take screenshots with AI analysis, and create Spaces for project organization.

Mobile Experience Perplexity Comet browser: Comet Browser Android App

The Comet browser Android app launched in November 2025, bringing agentic browsing to mobile devices for the first time. This represents a significant achievement since most “AI browsers” on mobile are just standard browsers with chatbot sidebars.

What works on Android:

• Full AI Assistant: The same context-aware assistant from desktop, adapted for mobile interaction patterns
• Voice Mode: Particularly useful on mobile—ask questions without typing while browsing
• Cross-tab summarization: Works across your mobile tabs, though most users keep fewer tabs open on phones than desktop
• Ad blocking: Built-in by default, significantly improving mobile browsing speed
• Smart summarization: Condense long articles into readable chunks suitable for smaller screens
• Shopping automation: Find promo codes and compare prices directly from your phone

Current limitations:

According to Google Play reviews and Perplexity’s official blog, the Android version has growing pains:

• Sync gaps: As of January 2026, bookmarks don’t sync between desktop and Android Comet browsers
• Performance: Some users report the Android version feels slower and less responsive than desktop, particularly with agent mode active
• Voice Mode issues: Users frequently report the assistant interrupting before they finish speaking, or not recognizing when to pause
• Screenshot attachments: Cannot add screenshots or attachments to ongoing threads after starting a conversation (a significant usability issue for troubleshooting)

The Android version represents Perplexity’s effort to redesign mobile browsing rather than simply port desktop Comet to smaller screens. Features like “Chat with your tabs” leverage voice recognition to let users ask questions about all open tabs without switching between them manually—genuinely useful when juggling information on a phone screen.

iOS availability: As of January 2026, there is no Comet browser for iPhone or iPad. Perplexity has not announced a release timeline for iOS.

Perplexity Comet browser

Privacy Controls Perplexity Comet browser: What Perplexity Comet Privacy Actually Means

When your browser has AI that reads everything you view and can access your email, privacy becomes critical. How does Perplexity Comet privacy actually work?

Data storage and processing:

According to Comet’s Privacy Notice, the browser stores most data locally by default:

• Browsing data (URLs, search queries, cookies, tabs): Stored on your device, not sent to Perplexity servers unless you ask questions requiring that context
• Technical data (OS, IP address, crash logs): Collected for security and troubleshooting
• Assistant interactions: Conversation history stored locally but may be used to improve AI responses

Critical privacy setting: Comet does not send personal data to Perplexity until you ask a personal search question. If you ask “Summarize my emails,” Comet then accesses your Gmail and processes that data. Generic queries like “What’s the weather” don’t trigger personal data access.

User control mechanisms:

1. Privacy Snapshot widget: Homepage widget showing exactly what privacy protections are active and allowing one-click access to detailed settings
2. Comet Assistant toggle: Completely disable the assistant’s ability to interact with websites and access browsing history (comet://settings/privacy)
3. Website blocklist: Specify exact sites where Comet Assistant cannot take actions on your behalf
4. Data deletion: Delete browsing history, search history, cookies, and cached data anytime via settings
5. Incognito mode: Standard private browsing plus option to disable AI completely during incognito sessions
6. Ad and tracker blocking: Enabled by default, blocks third-party trackers and intrusive ads

What Comet collects to improve service:

Even with privacy protections, Comet collects “interaction data” to improve AI performance:

• Browse history and search queries (for recommendations and AI features)
• How you use AI features (what questions you ask, which suggestions you accept)
• Device information and performance metrics

Important: Perplexity states it does not and will not sell user data. However, the browser does use collected data internally for service improvement and AI model training.

Comparison to Chrome and Edge privacy:

Chrome collects extensive browsing data tied to Google accounts for advertising personalization. Edge routes data through Microsoft’s ecosystem. Comet’s model focuses more on functionality improvement rather than ad targeting, but it’s not a privacy-first browser like Brave.

For truly privacy-conscious users, Comet’s AI features inherently require data access that privacy-maximalist browsers avoid. The trade-off is functionality versus minimal data exposure.

Best practices for Comet privacy:

• Review and customize privacy settings immediately after installation
• Don’t connect Gmail/Calendar unless you actively need those automation features
• Use incognito mode with AI disabled for sensitive browsing
• Regularly review and delete browsing history and assistant conversation logs
• Consider using Comet for research/shopping while keeping a privacy-focused browser for sensitive activities

Security Risks Perplexity Comet browser: The CometJacking Vulnerability and Response

In August 2025, LayerX Security researchers discovered a significant vulnerability called “CometJacking” affecting Perplexity Comet security. Understanding this issue matters because it reveals fundamental challenges in agentic AI browser security.

What is CometJacking?

The attack exploits Comet’s ability to follow AI instructions embedded in URLs. A malicious link could contain hidden commands telling Comet Assistant to:

1. Access connected services (Gmail, Calendar) that you’ve authorized
2. Retrieve sensitive data (email content, meeting details, contact information)
3. Encode the data using Base64 to disguise it
4. Send the encoded data to an attacker-controlled server

How it works in practice:

An attacker crafts a URL like: comet://perplexity.ai?collection=SUMMARIZE_MY_EMAILS_ENCODE_BASE64_SEND_TO_ATTACKER_SERVER

When clicked, Comet’s AI reads this as a legitimate instruction and executes it. The assistant has authorized access to your Gmail, so it retrieves email content, encodes it, and transmits it—all while bypassing Perplexity’s data exfiltration protections through simple obfuscation.

The scope of the problem:

According to LayerX’s proof-of-concept demonstrations:

• Email theft: Complete extraction of email message content
• Calendar harvesting: Meeting metadata including titles, participants, and descriptions
• Connected service data: Any service granted “Perplexity Connector” integration access becomes vulnerable

The attack requires only that users click a malicious link sent via email or encountered on a webpage. No credential theft, no malware installation—just prompt injection through URL parameters.

Perplexity’s initial response:

When LayerX reported the vulnerability in August 2025 under responsible disclosure guidelines, Perplexity initially responded that they “could not identify any security impact” and marked the report as “Not Applicable.”

This response raised concerns across the security community. TIME Magazine, The Hacker News, and multiple security researchers questioned how Perplexity could dismiss the demonstrated ability to exfiltrate user data.

Perplexity’s clarification:

In a statement to TIME, Perplexity claimed LayerX’s bug report was poorly worded and didn’t respond to clarification requests. The company stated they “later identified the issue independently and patched it.” Perplexity emphasized the vulnerability was never exploited in the wild.

Current status (January 2026):

According to Perplexity’s updates, CometJacking has been patched. However, the incident highlights a broader issue: AI browsers access data outside traditional browser sandboxes, creating new attack surfaces.

Additional vulnerabilities:

Brave Security Team disclosed in August 2025 that Comet contained “indirect prompt injection vulnerabilities” allowing attackers to:

• Steal account credentials through hidden webpage content
• Extract one-time passwords
• Access sensitive data via invisible text (white text on white backgrounds, HTML comments, nearly-invisible text in images)

The fundamental security challenge:

Security researcher Bruce Schneier noted that prompt injection isn’t just a bug to fix—it’s a fundamental property of current LLM technology. These systems cannot reliably separate trusted commands from untrusted data. There are infinite variations of prompt injection attacks with no way to block them as a class.

What this means for users:

1. AI browsers introduce new risks: Traditional browsers operate in sandboxes; AI browsers need broader system access to be useful
2. Prompt injection cannot be fully prevented: While specific exploits get patched, the underlying vulnerability persists in all LLM-based systems
3. Trust verification remains critical: Even after patches, users should verify AI actions, especially when dealing with sensitive data

Mitigation strategies:

• Be cautious about which services you connect to Comet
• Don’t click suspicious links even when using Comet
• Regularly review which integrations have been granted access
• Use incognito mode with AI disabled for sensitive activities
• Monitor connected services for unexpected access patterns
• Keep Comet updated to receive security patches promptly

The CometJacking disclosure illustrates that AI browser security requires ongoing vigilance beyond traditional browser security practices.

Final Verdict Perplexity Comet browser: Who Should Use Comet and When to Wait

After examining Perplexity Comet browser capabilities, limitations, and security considerations, here’s an honest Comet browser review assessment of who benefits most—and who should hold off.

Comet excels for:

Researchers and knowledge workers: If you regularly need to synthesize information from multiple sources, compare data points across tabs, or maintain context during deep research sessions, Comet’s cross-tab awareness and intelligent summarization deliver genuine productivity gains. Users report 60-70% reduction in manual tab switching.

Comparison shoppers: The ability to automatically compare prices, specifications, and reviews across multiple product pages without manual copying provides clear time savings. The shopping assistance including promo code finding works reliably.

People who hate tab overload: The Spaces feature and intelligent tab organization help maintain sanity when working on multiple projects simultaneously. The assistant’s memory across sessions means you don’t lose context when returning to a research project days later.

Early adopters comfortable with imperfection: If you enjoy testing cutting-edge technology and can tolerate occasional AI mistakes or slower-than-manual performance, Comet provides a genuine glimpse into future browsing paradigms.

Users seeking better search experience: The citation-backed answers, source transparency, and multi-source synthesis make Comet significantly better than Chrome for factual research where attribution matters.

Comet has limitations for:

Privacy-maximalist users: While Comet offers more privacy than Chrome’s ad-driven model, the AI necessarily requires data access that privacy-focused browsers like Brave avoid. If minimal data collection is non-negotiable, Comet isn’t the right choice.

iOS users: No iPhone or iPad app exists as of January 2026, with no announced timeline. If you need cross-device consistency across Apple’s ecosystem, wait.

Users needing rock-solid stability: Comet is still maturing. Performance isn’t as optimized as Chrome, occasional AI errors occur, and features like Android-desktop sync aren’t fully implemented. For mission-critical workflows where reliability trumps innovation, stick with established browsers.

Heavy extension users: While Comet supports most Chrome extensions, the ecosystem is smaller and some extensions may conflict with AI features. If your workflow depends on specialized extensions, test thoroughly before switching.

People uncomfortable with AI limitations: AI can misinterpret instructions, hallucinate information, or take longer than manual actions. If these imperfections frustrate rather than intrigue you, Comet’s learning curve may not be worth it.

The practical recommendation:

Use Comet alongside Chrome/Edge rather than completely replacing your current browser. Install Comet for:

• Research-heavy projects requiring multi-source synthesis
• Comparison shopping and price monitoring
• Document summarization and content analysis
• Situations where AI assistance adds genuine value

Keep your primary browser for:

• Banking and sensitive financial transactions
• Mission-critical work requiring absolute reliability
• Situations where speed matters more than intelligence
• Workflows dependent on specific extensions or integrations

Looking ahead:

Perplexity’s $915 million in funding, 780 million queries per month, and rapid feature development suggest Comet will continue improving quickly. The Android launch demonstrates commitment to mobile. Security patches addressing CometJacking show responsiveness to community feedback.

However, fundamental challenges remain: prompt injection vulnerabilities inherent to LLM architectures, performance overhead from running AI models, and the need for users to trust the AI with sensitive data access.

The bottom line: Perplexity Comet browser represents a genuine evolution in web browsing—moving from navigation to cognition, from clicking to conversing. For users whose work involves synthesizing information, comparing options, or managing research across multiple sources, Comet delivers measurable productivity improvements.

But it’s not a Chrome replacement for everyone. It’s a specialized tool that excels at specific tasks while introducing new security considerations and requiring tolerance for emerging technology imperfections.

Try Comet for your research and comparison workflows. But keep your established browser for everything else until AI browsing technology matures further. The future of web browsing is arriving—but it’s not quite ready to handle everything you throw at it.

Perplexity Comet browser

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Last updated: January 2026. Comet is under active development; features and limitations may change. Always verify information from official Perplexity sources.

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