Perplexity Comet Browser Locks Down New Tab Page Customization, Here Is Why

Comet Browser uses Perplexity.ai as its permanent New Tab Page and blocks any customization or replacement through extensions. You can’t change the Comet Browser new tab page with any extension. Even though it supports standard Chrome extensions, Comet keeps its start page fixed to Perplexity.ai by design. This decision sets it apart from traditional browsers.

Most modern browsers such as Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Opera let users personalize the New Tab Page. Users change backgrounds, pick themes, and install extensions that modify the start page.

Comet Browser takes a different path. Each time a user opens a new tab, the browser loads Perplexity.ai as the fixed start page. The search box, past conversations, and a few widget options remain visible, but no option lets users replace or move the main layout. The search and conversation sections stay at the center, and the assistant appears in the sidebar.

New Tab Page extensions from the Chrome Web Store install without errors, but none work as replacements. Popular ones such as Momentum and Toby do not change the default. The new tab always reloads Perplexity.ai. Momentum and similar new tab extensions install but do not work in Comet Browser.

This behavior is not a glitch. Further digging into official Comet documentation shows that the browser keeps the New Tab Page as a built-in feature. Its look and main options stay the same each time you open it. The browser keeps this restriction on purpose to preserve its layout and main functions. There is no option to switch back to extension-based customization.

The documentation also states:

“Most Chrome extensions work smoothly, but some features (especially those that rely on Chrome-specific integrations or that attempt to change the default start page) may not function as intended.”

Comet is a Chromium-based browser that supports regular extensions, but its default new tab page is tied to Perplexity.ai and cannot be replaced by any third-party option.

That’s not all. Comet Browser now supports Split View and Automatic Picture-in-Picture mode. It includes a native ad blocker like Brave and is expected to add a built-in VPN.