Comet by Perplexity: The Browser That Lets You Browse at the Speed of Thought

Comet by Perplexity: The Browser That Lets You Browse at the Speed of Thought

TL;DR: Comet is Perplexity AI’s new Chromium-based, AI-first browser that turns every web session into a fluid conversation. With a built-in assistant that can summarize pages, automate repetitive chores, and even act on your behalf—while keeping everything private on your local machine—Comet feels less like a traditional browser and more like a cognitive operating system.

Why Perplexity Built Its Own Browser

Perplexity’s search engine already answers questions with sourced citations, so why venture into browsers? Two core reasons stand out:

1. Local context beats the cloud. Because Comet runs on your computer, it inherits your existing log-ins, bookmarks, and extensions. The assistant can instantly act on any open tab—no re-authentication, no spinning up a remote VM—removing the friction that plagues cloud-hosted agent services.

2. From answers to full workflows. Search is only step one. Comet collapses every follow-up step—booking a flight, replying to emails, closing 25 forgotten tabs—into a single chat thread. That agentic approach signals Perplexity’s long-term goal of evolving from answer engine to everyday task partner.

Signature Features

Feature	What It Does	How It Feels in Practice
Omnibox → Perplexity search	The address bar defaults to Perplexity’s answer engine, returning sources first, then an AI summary.	Zero-click research: skims links and gives instant context.
Comet Assistant (sidebar)	Chat about the current page, ask for summaries, or instruct it to act (e.g., “unsubscribe from promo emails,” “reply to LinkedIn invites”).	A blue outline shows the tab under AI control; you watch the clicks happen in real time.
Workspace instead of tabs	Open pages live in a scrollable workspace that the assistant can organize, name, and revisit.	No more tab overload or losing context between sessions.
Google connectors	Optional OAuth links let Comet read Gmail/Calendar directly; if APIs fail, it falls back to on-screen automation.	Reliability even when service integrations break.
Privacy-first execution	All agent tasks run locally; personal data auto-deletes after 30 days (or sooner if you disable storage).	Peace of mind when letting AI navigate logged-in sites.

Seven Real-World Use Cases

1. Inbox triage – Have Comet find all unread but important emails, draft replies, and mass-unsubscribe from spam newsletters in a single command.

2. AI-powered shopping – Ask for the “best espresso machine under ₹50K INR that ships fastest,” then let Comet compare Amazon, Flipkart, and local retailers—and even place the order after you approve the cart.

3. Instant video digestion – Open any YouTube video and request a full summary plus key takeaways without watching the entire clip.

4. Automated LinkedIn networking – Filter connection requests by mutual connections, accept them, and send personalized thank-you messages—all hands-free.

5. Smart tab cleanup – “Summarize every open page and close the ones I no longer need.” Comet reviews titles & content, explains its choices, then auto-closes clutter.

6. Research deep dives – Launch multiple agents to scour scientific papers, corporate filings, or news articles, then merge findings into a single report with citations.

7. Calendar briefings – “Who am I meeting today?” Comet reads your Google Calendar, surfaces agendas, and prepares talking-point summaries.

Performance & Limitations

Early testers report lightning-fast page loads—surprising for a Chrome fork—and nearly seamless extension support. Still, Comet sometimes:

• Adds promotional footers like “Created with Comet Assistant” to social-media posts unless you manually edit them.

• Hits site restrictions (e.g., YouTube comment posting, airline CAPTCHAs) that block automation, forcing a human handoff.

• Misfires on unfamiliar workflows; right now it excels at “happy-path” tasks (booking restaurants, summarizing PDFs) but not fringe cases.

Perplexity promises rapid iteration as user feedback flows in, and its roadmap hints at Android and iOS builds plus deeper file-connector support.

How to Get Comet

Comet is currently available to Perplexity Max subscribers and through a rolling invite-only waitlist. Once admitted, downloadable installers for macOS and Windows appear in your Perplexity account. Wider free-tier access is expected later this year.

Final Thoughts

Comet isn’t just “Chrome with ChatGPT.” By unifying AI search, local context, and on-page automation, it reframes the browser as an agentic co-pilot that executes tasks while you focus on higher-level thinking. If you’re drowning in tabs, emails, or research rabbit holes, Comet feels like a glimpse of browsing’s AI-native future—one where your curiosity, not your click-rate, drives the web forward.