Perplexity, an increasingly popular AI platform, recently launched a new voice-based AI assistant in its iPhone and iPad app. With the help of this new feature, users can do everything from playing music, writing an email, or booking a cab, just by using their voice. This is especially good for those who like to use the phone without touching it.
This feature has come when many people have become a little disappointed with Apple’s Siri. This voice assistant from Perplexity is fast and intelligent and runs well on older iPhone models such as the iPhone 8. While Apple intelligence has not yet reached many devices, Perplexity has enabled this feature on all versions of iOS 16.0 and above. Let us now talk about this new assistant in more detail.
What does the Perplexity voice assistant do?
This assistant works by listening to your voice. That means if you say, “I want to book a cab for Delhi airport,” then it will directly open the Uber app and show the booking page. It was launched on 24 April 2025, and people have liked it a lot.
In addition, the Assistant will also integrate with Apple Music, Apple Mail, and soon apps like Gmail and Google Calendar. It can pull live information from a web browser and scan your calendar to show you your appointments. For example, if you say, “Show me next week’s meetings,” it will instantly look at your schedule and respond.
What is special about this?
Some features of this assistant make it different from Siri. First, it works in the background, meaning it recognizes your voice even when you are out of the app. Second, it also supports older phones, so more people can use it.
Thirdly, it can work with multiple apps at once. For example, it can book a restaurant on OpenTable or play a video on YouTube. Fourthly, it can also be used for free, although free users can send only five messages. If you subscribe for $20 per month, you can use it without any limit. Fifthly, its shortcut can also be set from the action button in the iPhone 15 Pro and 16 series, so that it can be started without opening the app.
Why is it better than Siri?
Perplexity’s assistant is more intelligent and flexible than Siri. Many times, people complain that Siri does not understand even simple commands correctly. For example, if you say, “Show me the transit information of Delhi airport,” then Siri may show something else. Whereas Perplexity directly opens the booking page of Uber.
However, Perplexity cannot do some of the things that Siri can do, like controlling screen brightness or volume. But there are some workarounds, like in-app reminders, that can prove useful. And most importantly, the assistant pulls information from the web in real-time and responds, making it more reliable.
How did the users like it?
Users have liked this new feature very much. Many people on social media have also called it a “Siri killer”. The special thing is that it works well even on old iPhones. Yes, some users have reported some problems with calendar access and navigation, but most people found it better than Siri.
Privacy and data safety
Perplexity has taken special care of the privacy of the users. When you first perform a task that requires system access, like opening the calendar, the app first asks for your permission. If you don’t want to give access to contacts, it listens to you and gets the phone number. The company has explained how it handles the data, which increases the trust of the users.
What’s the plan ahead?
This is just the beginning. Perplexity is working with brands like Motorola to pre-install the assistant in their phones. Also, the company is planning to integrate it better with Gmail and Google Calendar soon. This makes it clear that Perplexity can play a bigger role in the future.
Perplexity’s voice assistant could be a game-changer for iPhone users. It’s smart, fast, and easy to use, making it a strong alternative to Siri. Whether you have an old phone or a new one, this assistant can make the way you use your phone much easier and more fun. If you want to try it out, update the Perplexity app from the App Store now and enjoy this new feature.