Comet (browser)

What it is

Comet is a web browser from Perplexity, the company behind the Perplexity answer engine. It was launched on 9 July 2025 for Windows and macOS^[1][2]. An AI web browser is a browser with a built-in assistant that can answer questions about the page being viewed and act on the user's behalf.

Foundation

Comet is built on Chromium, the open-source engine on which Google Chrome is also based. Its engine is the Blink engine, which renders web pages^[2]. Building on Chromium means that many websites and extensions designed for that engine are expected to work in the browser.

Main features

The browser's assistant can run whole browsing sessions and multistep tasks^[1]. Perplexity's examples included booking a meeting, sending an email and buying an item^[1]. The assistant can also answer questions about any page the user has open^[1]. A multistep task is one that requires several actions in sequence, such as finding a product, choosing options and completing a purchase.

Access and release

At launch, access was limited to subscribers of Perplexity Max, the top-tier plan, with an invitation-based waitlist for others^[1]. The browser became free to download in October 2025^[2][3].

Comet was released on Android on 20 November 2025 and on iOS on 18 March 2026^[2]. Each platform extended the browser to a new group of users.

Security research

In August 2025 the security firm LayerX Security reported to Perplexity a method it called CometJacking. The attack could be used to exfiltrate user data. LayerX published its findings on 4 October 2025^[2]. Perplexity said it had found and patched the issue^[2].

The case is a useful example for readers of how AI agents create new risks. An assistant that reads pages and takes actions can be manipulated by content on those pages. The entry records the company's statement that the issue was fixed, but readers should note that the claim comes from Perplexity.

Impact

Comet is part of a broader trend in which AI assistants are built into browsers, a space in which the browser itself becomes the place where users ask for help. Its design places the assistant beside ordinary browsing, rather than in a separate chat window.

Limits

Feature names, platforms and access rules may change after the dates given here. Readers who rely on Comet for sensitive tasks should review its current permissions and security notices.