Sergey Diakov
⬤ Perplexity's mobile app just hit a rough patch. Recent data shows worldwide downloads plummeted 80% in just six weeks, sliding from earlier peaks down to around 1.5 million during the week of November 17–23. That's a pretty dramatic reversal for an app that looked unstoppable just months ago.
⬤ Third-party analytics paint a clear picture: Perplexity enjoyed a strong surge through mid-2025, then things turned south fast. What's unusual here is the speed of the drop. Most apps with genuine organic traction don't lose momentum this quickly. When you see a nosedive like this, it usually means something specific changed behind the scenes.
⬤ The sharp decline suggests Perplexity's earlier success was probably fueled by aggressive marketing spending rather than word-of-mouth growth. Once those ad budgets get pulled back or reallocated, the download numbers follow. It's a common pattern in the app world: paid growth looks impressive until the money stops flowing, then reality sets in.
⬤ This downturn hits at an awkward time for Perplexity. The AI assistant space is getting more crowded by the day, with new models launching and big platforms building their own tools. When your growth stalls in a market this competitive, it's tough to regain momentum. The latest numbers show how fragile app growth can be when it's built primarily on marketing dollars rather than organic user demand.
Sergey Diakov
