Users of the Firefox web browser will soon be able to set Perplexity, an AI-powered search engine, as their default search provider.
Mozilla began testing Perplexity integration in Firefox a few months ago in select markets, including the US, UK, and Germany. Following positive user feedback from those who used the AI search engine, Firefox will now make Perplexity an option alongside Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo.
Perplexity will also be available as an option on Firefox Mobile in the coming months.
“This addition reflects our shared commitment to choice: you decide when to use an AI answer engine, or if you want to use it at all,” Mozilla product communications manager Jenifer Boscacci said in a blog post. “And as always, privacy matters — Perplexity maintains strict prohibitions against selling or sharing personal data.”
Mozilla expands browser capabilities
When Mozilla first began testing Perplexity, it said that if the trial proved successful, it would look to integrate other AI search engines. The Perplexity integration announcement did not specify which AI chatbots it plans to integrate in the future.
In addition to the Perplexity integration, Mozilla also announced the launch of browser profiles for different workloads, such as school, work, and home. Users can also now use visual search, powered by Google Lens.
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Perplexity’s growing role in AI search
Perplexity has positioned its AI chatbot as “Search 2.0,” with CEO and co-founder Aravind Srinivas calling it the future of search. To that end, Perplexity has launched Comet, its own web browser, to control more of the browsing experience.
Compared to ChatGPT and other AI chatbots, Perplexity functions more like a traditional search engine. Its suggested searches focus on current news topics, and it places greater emphasis on source attribution and external links. It also features a Discovery page that acts as a news aggregation service, with content written by its AI model and linked to reputable sources.
This approach has drawn significant interest to Perplexity, which was most recently valued at $20 billion in a funding round. The company has raised $1.6 billion so far from investors and has shown a willingness to spend aggressively, reportedly offering $34.5 billion to acquire Google Chrome in the event of a forced federal sale.
Perplexity is also expanding beyond search, recently announcing Perplexity Email Assistant for Perplexity Max subscribers. It works by CC’ing Perplexity in emails, allowing the AI to assist with replies and clear the backlog.
Integration with web browsers may prove key for the long-term adoption of AI chatbots, especially for those unable to generate massive user bases independently. Perplexity already allows users to switch between models within its chatbot, including its own Sonar, Claude Sonnet 4.5, GPT-5, Gemini 2.5 Pro, and others. Mozilla and other non-Google browsers may soon offer similar flexibility.
Read about how Perplexity recently made its $200 AI browser Comet free worldwide. The company said the move is part of its mission to build “a better internet” and make its AI-powered tools more accessible to a broader audience.