Perplexity has expanded its AI capabilities beyond its renowned “answer engine” to launch a fully-fledged mobile assistant on Android devices. This new assistant isn’t just about answering questions anymore; it’s designed to dive into the daily grind, helping users with tasks from drafting emails to setting reminders and even booking dinner reservations.

Imagine this: you’re rushing to catch a flight, and instead of fumbling through apps, you simply ask Perplexity’s new assistant, “Get me a ride to the airport.” The assistant intelligently processes your request, opens Uber, and presents you with ride options to your destination, all without you lifting a finger beyond the initial command. This level of integration showcases the assistant’s multimodal capabilities, where it can interact not only with what’s on your screen but also use the camera to interpret your physical surroundings.

The launch comes at a time when tech giants are beefing up their own AI assistant offerings. Just as Samsung unveiled the Gemini-enhanced Galaxy S25, Google announced that its AI assistant can now juggle tasks across various apps, responding to the growing demand for more sophisticated, user-friendly AI interactions on mobile platforms.

However, Perplexity’s assistant isn’t a jack-of-all-trades just yet. It currently integrates with a select group of apps including Spotify, YouTube, and Uber, plus basic functionalities like email and messaging. According to Sara Platick, a spokesperson for Perplexity, this is just the beginning. “We’re continuing to add support for more apps and more functionality,” she stated, indicating a roadmap of broader app support and features in the pipeline.

For Android users eager to try this out, accessing the Perplexity assistant is straightforward. Once you’ve updated the Perplexity app, you’re prompted to set it as your default assistant, which then allows you to summon it by swiping up from the left corner of your screen or by long-pressing the home button. It’s a seamless integration that promises to make daily tasks less of a chore.

However, there’s a catch for iPhone users; this innovative assistant isn’t available on iOS devices. Platick notes, “If Apple gives us the right permissions, we’ll make it happen,” signaling a hopeful but not yet confirmed expansion to iOS.