Perplexity AI has launched its new feature, Perplexity Assistant, exclusively for Android users. This assistant integrates reasoning, web search, and app functionalities to help users manage daily tasks, marking a shift from Perplexity's role as an AI-powered answer engine to a more comprehensive digital assistant. The feature is available through the Perplexity app on the Google Play Store and supports 15 languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and Hindi.
Introducing Perplexity Assistant.
— Perplexity (@perplexity_ai) January 23, 2025
Assistant uses reasoning, search, and apps to help with daily tasks ranging from simple questions to multi-app actions. You can book dinner, find a forgotten song, call a ride, draft emails, set reminders, and more.
Available on Play Store. pic.twitter.com/UHdUIiDOzD
The Perplexity Assistant offers a range of capabilities:
- Task Automation: Users can book dinner reservations, hail rides via apps like Uber, draft emails, set reminders, and even locate forgotten songs.
- Context Retention: It maintains context across tasks. For instance, it can research restaurants, check reviews, and proceed to book a table within the same interaction.
- Multimodal Interaction: The assistant uses the phone’s camera to analyze surroundings or screen content. For example, it can identify objects or provide information about on-screen items.
- Web Integration: It leverages Perplexity's search engine for real-time information retrieval. This includes setting intelligent reminders for events by finding accurate dates and times online.
To access the assistant, users must download or update the Perplexity app and set it as their default assistant.
Assistant is available to all Perplexity users on Android. Please update to the latest version on the Play Store and make sure your device's gestures are configured to activate Assistant.
— Perplexity (@perplexity_ai) January 23, 2025
Examples below for Pixel and Samsung. pic.twitter.com/dTFnftmKJq
This launch highlights Perplexity's ambition to compete with established AI assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. While some features may require refinement (e.g., occasional issues with restaurant bookings), the company has committed to ongoing improvements. This release follows other strategic moves by Perplexity, such as launching its Sonar API for enterprise integration and acquiring Read.cv to expand its ecosystem.
The introduction of Perplexity Assistant reflects a growing trend in AI-driven tools aiming to simplify multitasking by integrating multiple apps and services into a single interface.