Perplexity Makes AI Voice Assistant Available on iPhones

Perplexity has updated its iOS app to include voice support for its conversational AI assistant, bringing powerful new capabilities to Apple users. Now, you can ask the assistant to handle everyday tasks like writing emails, setting reminders, and booking dinner reservations—all directly from your iPhone or iPad.

Impressively, the assistant works even when you navigate away from the app, though it currently lacks screen-sharing features available on Android.

Still, it offers functionality that Apple’s upcoming AI-powered Siri—expected sometime next year—doesn’t yet support. Plus, it works on older devices like the iPhone 13 mini, unlike Apple Intelligence, which will require newer hardware.

Perplexity originally launched voice features on Android in January, and after resolving Apple’s permissions requirements, it’s now rolling out on iOS.

"You can ask it to play anything: podcasts, hard-to-find videos, favourite songs. Even things like 'play me the video of Katy Perry kissing the ground after landing from the rocket', or 'baby shark donald trump version', or 'podcast where Andreessen discusses browsers with Lex," Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas said in a X post.

Recently, in a LinkedIn post, Srinivas revealed that his company has been asked to testify in the Google-Department of Justice (DOJ) case.

He argued against splitting Chrome from Google, emphasizing Google’s contribution in open-sourcing Chromium—used by browsers like Microsoft Edge and Perplexity’s own Comet.

"Google should not be broken up. Chrome should remain within and continue to be run by Google," he said.

Choice is the Remedy | Aravind Srinivas | 122 comments

Perplexity has been asked to testify in the Google DOJ case. Our core points: 1. Google should not be broken up. Chrome should remain within and continue to be run by Google. Google deserves a lot of credit for open-sourcing Chromium, which powers Microsoft's Edge and will also power Perplexity's Comet. Chrome has become the dominant browser due to incredible execution quality at the scale of billions of users. 2. Android should become more open to consumer choice. There shouldn't be a tight coupling to the default apps set by Google, and the permission for OEMs to have the Play Store and Maps. Consumers should have the choice to pick who they want as a default search and default voice assistant, and OEMs should be able to offer consumers this choice without having to be blocked by Google on the ability to have the Play Store and other Google apps (Maps, YouTube). The DOJ is pushing for Chrome to be divested from Google. We don't believe anyone else can run a browser at that scale without a hit on quality, nor the business model to be able to serve that many users profitably by keeping the browser free. Chromium is open source, and others can build using that. Evidence: Microsoft Edge and Perplexity's upcoming Comet browser. The thing that is particularly frustrating about Google to us is how hard it is to change anything on Android. OEMs can only use a Google-approved version of Android, if they want to have core Google apps like PlayStore, Maps, etc. And "Google-approved" means keeping Google as the default search and Google/Gemini as the default voice assistants. OEMs feel threatened about any changes here even outside the defaults, because the magnitude of revenue sharing offered to them by Google to preserve the status quo even when better alternatives are available. Eg: Perplexity's Android Assistant is regarded as superior to Gemini. The remedy that is right in our opinion is not a breakup of Google; but rather offering consumers the choice to pick their defaults on Android without feeling the risk of a loss in revenue. That's what we will be proposing. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gbSnHZut | 122 comments on LinkedIn

LinkedInAravind Srinivas

He asserted that no other company could maintain Chrome’s scale or quality while keeping it free for users.

Second, Srinivas advocated for more consumer choice within Android. He called for loosening the integration of default Google apps like Search and Maps, allowing OEMs to offer alternatives without risking access to critical services like the Play Store.

"If a phone maker wants to include any of Google's apps like Google Maps or the Play Store, they're required to include all of them. They also have to preload Google Search and Google Assistant as required defaults and limit alternatives for their users," the company said in a blog post.