Perplexity appears to be getting rid of handy Focus mode

Perplexity users are frustrated this week as the popular AI search tool seems to have removed its Focus mode feature from the web version. The tool, which let users narrow searches to specific sources like social media, academic papers, or videos, has been replaced with a toggle for switching between AI models like Perplexity Pro, Deepseek R1, and OpenAI’s o3-mini. Focus mode remains active in the mobile app, but its absence on the web has sparked confusion and backlash.

Focus mode previously allowed users to filter results by categories such as Social (Reddit discussions, forums), Academic (research papers), Video (YouTube timestamps), Writing (creative brainstorming), and Math (calculations). The feature was praised for delivering targeted answers without sifting through generic web results. Now, the web version only offers a toggle between “All” or “Academic” sources, stripping away other options.

The change sparked immediate criticism on Reddit, where a user posted, “Removing Focus is a terrible idea—please get it back.” The thread gained over 150 upvotes, with many calling the feature irreplaceable. One user noted that 75% of their searches relied on Social mode to find authentic product reviews or niche advice. “It distilled expertise you can’t get from AI models trained on generic data,” they wrote. Others highlighted academic research as a key use case, with one commenter calling the removal a “dealbreaker.”

Some users suggested workarounds, like typing “use only Reddit sources” into queries, but admitted it’s less efficient. Others speculated the shift aims to promote Perplexity’s newer AI models. “Marketing probably wanted to showcase their models instead,” one user wrote, calling the decision “moronic.” Several threatened to cancel subscriptions if Focus isn’t restored.

Perplexity has not officially commented on the change. The company’s support page still describes Focus mode as active, calling it a way to “zero in on specific sources with pinpoint accuracy.” This mismatch has added to user frustration. While the app still includes Focus, many rely on the web version for research. “I do most of my work on a laptop. Why remove it there?” asked a Reddit user.

Here’s a screenshot from the mobile app:

For now, the community remains split. Some hold out hope for a reversal, while others are exploring alternatives like Gemini Deep Search. We’ll have to wait and see if the company has anything to say about the decision.