Perplexity Corporation has transformed its AI "answer engine" into a mobile assistant for the Android platform. This new assistant can respond to general inquiries and perform various tasks on behalf of users, such as composing emails, setting reminders, and booking dinner reservations.
This assistant features multimodal capabilities, allowing users not only to ask about content displayed on the screen but also to let the assistant "see" objects in front of them by activating the camera. For instance, when a user asks the assistant to "order me a car," after understanding the destination, it automatically opens the Uber app and shows available ride options.
In practical applications, the assistant successfully identified a promotional Pokémon card included with a McDonald's Happy Meal photographed by a user's phone camera (a promotion that had just begun). Additionally, it can help users draft and send text messages to family members based on information from their contacts.
Meanwhile, Samsung announced that its Gemini technology will be integrated into the upcoming Galaxy S25 smartphone, while Google revealed that its AI assistant now supports completing tasks across multiple applications and handling multimodal requests.
However, Perplexity's assistant currently does not support all apps and functionalities. For example, it cannot access Slack or Reddit, nor can it be used to comment on YouTube videos. According to Perplexity spokesperson Sara Platnick, the apps currently supported by the assistant include Spotify, YouTube, Uber, along with email, messaging, and clock applications. "We are continuously adding support for more apps and features, so this is just the beginning," Platnick added.
Users can activate the assistant through the Perplexity app and configure it to replace the default assistant on their phones. Once enabled, the assistant can be accessed by swiping up from the bottom left corner of the screen or by long-pressing the home button.
It is worth noting that the assistant is not yet available on iPhones. Platnick stated: "If Apple grants us the necessary permissions, we will consider launching an iOS version."
