Perplexity has pushed out version 26.40.0 of its Comet browser on the App Store over the past couple of days, and the biggest change in this release is built-in support for the iPhone Duo.

According to the official release notes, the browser is now “fully optimized for iPhone Duo, with layouts designed for both the folded and open screens and smooth transitions between them.”

comet-browser-26-40-0-update

If you have ever tried using an unoptimized browser on a foldable phone, you already know how awkward the interface gets when you open or close the display mid-session. Having dedicated layouts that adjust on the fly without breaking the page you are reading makes a huge difference in daily use.

This release comes right after September’s update that focused on breaking through anti-adblock notices.

Apart from adding support for the new iPhone Duo, the build also sorts out a bug with how tabs behaved. Previously, closing a tab would often dump you straight back into the main tab manager overview instead of letting you keep browsing.

perplexit-comet-tab-view-screenshot

Perplexity notes that “closing a tab now opens the next related tab instead of jumping to the tab manager,” which feels much more natural when you have a bunch of links open from the same website. The team also fixed a bug with the Recently Closed Tabs list, so your history actually shows up again and stays put even after you restart the app.

You will also notice the built-in AI Assistant is a bit smarter at keeping up as you click around and change pages. The changelog mentions a faster startup time, a smaller overall app size, an upgraded Chromium engine under the hood, and a handful of minor fixes across the Settings, History, and Library menus.

Even with all the recent additions like deep Siri Shortcuts and password autofill, it is good to see the app getting lighter rather than more bloated.

 
✦
PiunikaWeb’s Take

While Perplexity’s desktop browser often feels like it moves at a snail’s pace, the iOS team has been shipping meaningful updates almost every two weeks. Optimizing early for the iPhone Duo is a smart play because third-party browsers usually lag behind Safari when Apple introduces new hardware form factors. Still, the real star of build 26.40.0 for regular iPhone users is the tab behavior fix. Being kicked out to the tab grid every time you closed a single page completely broke the flow of reading, so jumping straight to the next related tab makes Comet feel much closer to a mature daily driver.

You can grab version 26.40.0 right now by heading over to the App Store and refreshing your updates list if your iPhone has not installed it automatically.

We stand out from the tech-media crowd because we break news stories; we mainly bring you stuff that you won’t find anywhere in the mainstream tech media. Our stories have been picked up by some of the world’s most popular websites and media outlets—more info is available here.
user-profile user-profile

Dwayne Cubbins
3131 Posts

I cover fast-moving stories across apps, online platforms, and everyday tech — phones, wearables, consoles, and whatever else people are fighting with this week. Bugs, rollouts, scams, policy enforcement, and the occasional internet-culture rabbit hole are all fair game. My goal is simple — make confusing tech news readable. When I'm not working, I'm working out or chilling with my dog. Got a tip? You can find me on X @dcubbins.