Perplexity AI Voice Assistant Launches on iOS

Perplexity AI's latest iOS Voice Assistant transforms on-device AI activities—book a reservation, send an email, play media & more with voice commands. A Siri alternative with real-time web search and multi-app integration

Perplexity's voice assistant based on AI has launched on iOS officially, offering its conversational capabilities on both iPhone and iPad. The latest development in the Perplexity app enables Apple users to ask the assistant to do stuff around you on a daily basis, such as messaging, typing emails, setting reminders, and even booking a dinner reservation. The feature that sets Perplexity apart is its capability to remain active even after you exit the app. While it still does not have screen sharing on iOS like it does on Android, this is still a big plus. Also, in contrast to Apple Intelligence which will still be months away from reaching most users Perplexity supports older devices, such as the iPhone 13 mini.

Perplexity introduced this assistant to Android in January. At that time, a representative said to a well-known publication that approval from Apple was necessary for iOS support. It seems that barrier has been crossed, enabling the assistant to be released on Apple devices.

With the assistant on an iPhone, there is a smooth experience. Upon request to remind it to cook at 7 PM, the application asked to be allowed access to reminders and easily got the work done once approved. When typing out a message, it asked to access contacts. Upon denying, the assistant adapted by asking for the number instead, showcasing a clever substitute.

Perplexity's assistant can also be used to book reservations. It performed a practical test by launching OpenTable, entered the mandatory details through voice commands, and took the user through to completion. The same is true for ride-hailing—it can activate Uber and get the setup done, though the last few steps still require manual input. There are some limitations on iOS, though. Perplexity can't use the camera for visual context like ChatGPT or Grok. However, you can upload a picture and ask about it with text. Moreover, Siri continues to have sole control over iPhone alarms Perplexity can't set those yet. In short, the voice assistant brings strong features to iOS, giving a handy and intelligent alternative that beats some of Apple's own native enhancements, especially for people with older hardware.