# Perplexity not working: fixes from its help center

> Check the status page, hard refresh, drop the VPN, then confirm your account email. Perplexity's help center has a fix for each common failure.

URL: https://claudegpt.si/news/perplexity-not-working-fixes  
Published: 2026-11-02T02:53:37.624Z  
Author: ClaudeGPT Si Newsroom  
Section: Guides  
Topics: Perplexity, Troubleshooting, Perplexity Pro, Comet  
Publisher: ClaudeGPT Si

## Key takeaways

- Perplexity's status page showed no incidents on November 2, 2026, and lists Website, App, Computer and API.
- Perplexity's help center says to hard refresh, update the mobile app and disconnect any VPN before contacting support.
- Missing sessions or Pro access usually mean a different account email, and the address must match exactly, including letter case.

Perplexity not working is usually one of four things: an outage, a Cloudflare check that won't clear, the wrong account, or a connector that lost its login. Perplexity's own [help center](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/10354888-need-support) covers each one. Start with the status page, then work down this list. Details are as of November 2, 2026.

## Check if Perplexity is down first

Open [status.perplexity.com](https://status.perplexity.com). It lists four components: Website, App, Computer and API. On November 2 it said Perplexity was "not aware of any issues affecting our systems" and showed no recent incidents. You can subscribe to updates from the top of the page.

If the page is green, the problem is probably on your side. If it shows an incident, wait. The help center says problems like missing sessions, no response being generated, or slowness usually clear within 30 minutes to a few hours.

## The three quick fixes

Perplexity's support article lists these before anything else:

1. Hard refresh the browser: Ctrl+F5 on Windows, Command+Shift+R on a Mac.
2. On a phone, check for an app update.
3. Turn off any VPN.

Try them in that order, and test Perplexity after each one. Most "not loading" reports end here.

## Stuck on a loading or Cloudflare screen

Perplexity sits behind Cloudflare, which runs user checks to limit spam and abuse. Per the [Cloudflare and VPNs article](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/10354884-cloudflare-vpns), you get checked more often when you use a VPN or proxy, when you are logged out, or when your browser sends too little data to prove you are a real user.

If you are stuck:

1. Refresh the page, or open the site in a different browser.
2. Disable any VPN or proxy.
3. Clear your cache and cookies, which removes old or corrupted files that can cause the loop.
4. Keep the browser updated, and log in. Perplexity says anonymous users are screened more often.

## Your sessions or Pro plan are missing

If Perplexity loads but your sessions or Pro features are gone, you are probably signed in to a different account. The [help center guide](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/11464164-troubleshooting-access-to-threads-pro-features) says:

- The email address must be identical on every device, including letter case. An address with a capital letter counts as different from the same address in lowercase.
- If you use iCloud+, your Pro subscription may be tied to an Apple Hide My Email or Relay address.
- Sessions created while logged out are deleted after 14 days and cannot be recovered. Check your browser history.

To see which email you are using, click your profile picture at the bottom left and open My Account (web and Windows). On a Mac, open your profile and choose Manage Account. On iOS, tap your account at the top left and choose Manage Account. On Android, tap your account at the top left.

## Desktop app crashes or shows a blank window

The [desktop app article](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/19800012-fix-crashes-blank-windows-or-high-resource-use) gives these steps:

1. Close the app and reopen it.
2. Make sure you have the current version.
3. If it still won't open, restart your computer.

If the app is slow or uses a lot of memory, check for a long-running task, browser session or preview that is still active. Close the ones you are done with, then restart the app.

## Connectors fail or keep disconnecting

Connectors link Perplexity to services such as Google Drive, OneDrive and GitHub. The [connector troubleshooting article](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/2026091802-troubleshooting-connectors) suggests this order:

1. Confirm the connector is enabled under Plugins, then Installed.
2. Hard refresh, or restart the desktop app.
3. Sign out of other Google, Microsoft or GitHub accounts so the right one is authorized.
4. Allow pop-ups and third-party cookies for perplexity.ai. Test in a private window with extensions off.
5. Select Disconnect, wait a few seconds, then Connect again.

If a tool call fails with "rate limit", "quota" or "429", wait a few minutes or split the task. If a connector is connected but ignored, pick it in the composer or @ mention it, and check that Focus or Sources is not set to Web-only, Academic or Social. Some connectors need a Pro, Max or Enterprise plan, and on Enterprise an admin controls what is available.

## If nothing works

Go to Help, then Contact Support. Include your platform, your browser or app version, and a shareable link to the session where the problem happens. For a wrong answer, use the three-dot menu under the response and choose Report. For a bug, the [bug report guide](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/10354894-how-do-i-submit-a-bug-report) asks for device or OS, app version (Settings, then About on desktop), steps to reproduce, and a screenshot or recording. Comet, Perplexity's browser, has its own support: use Help, then Report an Issue inside Comet.

Perplexity's help center is the quickest place to check a fix before writing in. Our guide to [Perplexity free and paid plans](https://claudegpt.si/news/is-perplexity-free) explains which features need Pro.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Perplexity down right now?

Check status.perplexity.com, which tracks Website, App, Computer and API. On November 2, 2026 it showed no recent incidents. Perplexity says outage-type problems usually clear within 30 minutes to a few hours.

### Why is Perplexity not working on Chrome or Safari?

Try a hard refresh (Ctrl+F5 on Windows, Command+Shift+R on Mac), clear cache and cookies, turn off any VPN, and update the browser. Perplexity also suggests trying a different browser if a Cloudflare check keeps looping.

### Why is my Perplexity Pro not working?

Confirm you are signed in with the same email on every device, with identical letter case. If you use iCloud+, your subscription may be tied to an Apple Hide My Email address.

### How do I contact Perplexity support?

Go to Help, then Contact Support. Include your platform, browser or app version, and a shareable link to the session where the problem happens.

## Sources

- [Need support?](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/10354888-need-support), Perplexity Help Center
- [Perplexity status](https://status.perplexity.com), Perplexity
- [Cloudflare & VPNs](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/10354884-cloudflare-vpns), Perplexity Help Center
- [Troubleshooting access to threads & Pro features](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/11464164-troubleshooting-access-to-threads-pro-features), Perplexity Help Center
- [Fix Crashes, Blank Windows, or High Resource Use](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/19800012-fix-crashes-blank-windows-or-high-resource-use), Perplexity Help Center
- [Troubleshooting connectors](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/2026091802-troubleshooting-connectors), Perplexity Help Center
- [How do I submit a bug report?](https://www.perplexity.ai/help-center/en/articles/10354894-how-do-i-submit-a-bug-report), Perplexity Help Center
