Product dossier
Editorial profile
Perplexity Assistant
ActiveAI-powered search agent with multi-app awareness
- Category
- Mobile AI Agent
- Status
- Active
- Pricing
- Freemium
- Platforms
- iOS, Android
Features and pricing should be confirmed on the official site before installing.
Official sitePerplexity Assistant is a mobile ai agent for iOS and Android. Perplexity's mobile app functions as an AI agent that can search the web, summarize content, and increasingly interact with other apps on your device.
Research-heavy users who need verified, cited answers on mobile
Users who want inline AI help without leaving their current app
Check the official privacy policy for data handling details
Runs as a separate app — requires switching away from where you're typing
See our glossary for definitions of agentic keyboard, AI keyboard, and related terms.
Overview
Perplexity is an AI-powered search and research assistant available as a mobile app. Unlike traditional search engines that return a list of links, Perplexity synthesizes information from multiple web sources into a coherent answer with inline citations. It's particularly useful for research-heavy mobile workflows — fact-checking, topic exploration, article summarization, and source comparison. While it's not a keyboard (you switch to the Perplexity app, then back to where you're typing), it fills an important gap that no current keyboard addresses: verified, cited answers to research questions.
Who Should Use Perplexity Assistant
- Researchers, students, and professionals who need cited, verifiable answers
- Anyone who wants search results synthesized rather than a list of links
- Users who value source transparency and want to verify AI-generated information
Who Should Look Elsewhere
- -Users who want inline AI help without leaving their current app
- -People looking for creative writing assistance rather than research
- -Anyone who needs a keyboard replacement (Perplexity is a companion app)
Pricing
Perplexity offers a free tier with basic search and summarization. Perplexity Pro (paid subscription) provides access to more capable models, higher usage limits, and advanced features. Check the official site for current pricing and plan details.
Common Use Cases
Limitations
- Runs as a separate app — requires switching away from where you're typing
- Not a keyboard; you copy-paste results into your destination app
- Free tier has usage limits; Pro subscription needed for heavy use
- Focuses on research and search — less suited for creative writing or message drafting
How It Works
- 1Download the Perplexity app and sign in (free tier available)
- 2Type a question or paste a URL to search, summarize, or analyze
- 3Perplexity searches the web in real time and synthesizes an answer with citations
- 4Review the answer and click citations to verify sources
- 5Copy results into your messaging, email, or document app as needed
Key Capabilities
Pros
- +Real-time web search with automatic source citations
- +Clean, research-oriented interface designed for answer synthesis
- +Free tier provides solid search and summarization capabilities
- +Multi-modal — can process images, text, and web content in one query
Cons
- -Not a keyboard — requires app-switching to use alongside typing
- -Research focus means less suited for creative writing or tone adjustment
- -Pro features require a paid subscription
- -Source quality varies; always verify citations independently
Alternatives to Perplexity Assistant
- ChatGPT (broader general-purpose AI capabilities including creative writing)
- Google Gemini app (if you prefer Google's ecosystem and search integration)
- Grammarly Keyboard (inline writing improvement without app-switching)