Perplexity lands in Firefox and iPad

Browser distribution is the story here. Perplexity did not announce some huge new model jump. Instead, it showed up in two places people already spend time — Firefox search and the iPad version of Comet. That sounds smaller, but it matters more than it looks. Consumer AI keeps running into the same problem: being impressive is not the same thing as being where people already are. (blog.mozilla.org) ### What changed in Firefox? Mozilla is now rolling out Perplexity as a built-in search option on Firefox desktop after testing it earlier in 2026. Firefox describes it as an AI-powered answer engine inside the browser’s search choices, not as a forced default. Perplexity appears in the unified search button in the address bar, and Mozilla says the rollout is global for desktop users. (blo([blog.mozilla.org) Why is that a bigger deal than it sounds? Because search placement is distribution. If Perplexity sits inside the browser’s normal search picker, it stops being a destination you have to remember and starts being one more path from the address bar. That lowers friction a lot. Most people do not install niche tools and build habits around them. They use whatever is one click away. Firefo(blog.mozilla.org). (blog.mozilla.org) ### Is Firefox locking people into it? No — and Mozilla is leaning hard on that point. Firefox’s search settings still let users choose a different default engine, add or remove engines, and control how search works in the address bar. Mozilla’s support docs also note that some engines are region-dependent, which means this is broad but not necessarily identical everywhere. The important part is choice stays with the user. (support.mozilla.org) ### So where does iPad fit in? The iPad side is about Comet, Perplexity’s own browser. Perplexity launched Comet for iOS on March 18, 2026, bringing its AI browser and assistant to Apple’s mobile ecosystem, including iPad. That gave Perplexity a native Apple foothold, but the first question for any iPad browser is simple: can it behave like a real tablet app instead of a blown-up phone app? (perplexity.ai) ### Why do Split View and multi-window matter? Because iPad users multitask differently. Split View lets two apps sit side by side, and multi-window lets you keep separate browser workspaces open at once. For an AI browser, that is not cosmetic. It changes whether Comet can actually help with research, comparison shopping, note-taking, or cross-checking sources while another app stays ope(perplexity.ai)ontent and keep two sites visible without constant tab switching. (comet-help.perplexity.ai) ### Is this really about AI, or just product plumbing? Mostly product plumbing — but that is the point. The AI market is shifting from “who has the smartest demo” to “who gets embedded into default behavior.” A search slot in Firefox and proper multitasking support on iPad both push Perplexity closer to habit. Habit is what turns a clever tool into a consumer product. (blog.mozilla.org) ### What is the catch? Firefox is not making Perplexity the web’s new default. It is giving users another option. And Comet on iPad still has to prove people want an AI-native browser often enough to switch from Safari or Chrome. But turns out that is exactly why these moves matter — they are about reducing the cost of trying Perplexity in the first place. (blog.mozilla.org)playing the distribution game now. Firefox gives it browser-level visibility, and iPad multitasking makes Comet feel more like a serious computing tool. In consumer AI, the next battle is not just model quality. It is placement, defaults, and whether the product fits the device people already use. (blog.mozilla.org)