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Perplexity's New iOS Voice Assistant Works Where Siri Still Can't

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Perplexity has updated its iOS app with a new Voice Assistant feature, bringing conversational AI capabilities to Apple devices, including older iPhones and iPads that don't support Apple Intelligence. The update allows iPhone users to interact with Perplexity's AI assistant through voice commands even when navigating away from the app.

perplexity-ai-mac.jpg

The Voice Assistant can perform various tasks such as the following, given the requisite user permissions:
  • Drafting and sending emails
  • Sending messages and making calls
  • Controlling smart home devices
  • Providing Apple Maps directions and traffic updates
  • Setting reminders
  • Booking Ubers
  • Scheduling and editing Calendar events
  • Playing Podcasts, including search and subscribe
  • Playing music and videos
  • Answering general knowledge questions
  • Making reservations via booking sites
Voice Assistant can browse the web and perform multi-app actions to complete these functions directly from the Perplexity iOS app.


The update includes a shortcut for Voice Assistant that can be added to the Lock Screen or assigned to an iPhone's Action button, making Perplexity a viable substitute for some of Apple Intelligence's delayed conversational AI enhancements for Siri, which are still likely months away from release.

Perplexity leverages the power of large language models like OpenAI's GPT-4.1, Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro, Anthropic's Claude 3.7 Sonnet, and xAi's Grok-2. The iOS app currently lacks the screen sharing capability found in the Android version of Perplexity, where the assistant can see and interact with content on the user's screen. Perplexity syncs across devices and is a free download with in-app subscriptions from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Perplexity's New iOS Voice Assistant Works Where Siri Still Can't
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/04/24/perplexity-voice-assistant-ios-app/
Last edited:
After a period of time where you stop hitting milestones and continually change who runs the ship for Siri someone really needs to considering acquiring a company.
I wonder if the problem is hooking the acquired company deep into iOS. We know it’s not a matter of money. They’ve got a ton of that just sitting around and have probably spent more in time and salaries in failed attempts to upgrade Siri.
 
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kenny7 said:
Why can’t Apple just buy one of these AI companies and replace Siri with it.
Click to expand...

Two problems:

1. AI companies are expensive as **** and their valuations are insane considering none of them have made any actual, you know, profit to date

2. Most of them have Google, Microsoft or Meta (or other big tech company) as minority owners, which means they can block a potential sale or make it otherwise less attractive for Apple
 
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wanha said:
Two problems:

1. AI companies are expensive as **** and their valuations are insane considering none of them have made any actual, you know, profit to date

2. Most of them have Google, Microsoft or Meta (or other big tech company) as minority owners, which means they can block a potential sale or make it otherwise less attractive for Apple
Click to expand...
1. I'm sure they are cheaper than $3trillion

2. Then why not buy a part of it like MS did with OpenAI?
 
I'd put good money on the 33% of iPhone users that even bother with Siri, whomare not the more technically inclined members of a forum such as this only ever using Siri to set timers or add appointments.
 
A few things to note:
1) Requires internet to use and doesn't integrate things like HomeKit etc.
2) Not held to the same auditable privacy standards (if this is important to you)
3) Currently requires a subscription to work best (Apple Int. doesn't, yet)
Not defending the Overhyped Apple Intelligence at all, but there are key differences in approach, namely privacy and internet access, which make Apple Int. harder to get working decently.
 
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