Perplexity Voice Assistant Challenges Siri on iOS

Imagine having a voice assistant on your iPhone that not only understands your casual chatter but also takes action on your behalf, like filling out a dinner reservation or queuing up a specific YouTube video.

That’s exactly what Perplexity AI is bringing to iOS users with its new voice assistant, a feature previously exclusive to Android. This AI-powered tool is stepping up to challenge Siri, and it’s doing so with a proactive flair that might just make iPhone users rethink their go-to virtual helper.

Perplexity’s voice assistant is designed to go beyond answering questions. It’s what tech enthusiasts call an “agentic AI,” meaning it doesn’t just provide information, it acts on it. For example, if you ask it to find a spot for dinner, it won’t just list restaurants. Instead, it will open the OpenTable app, fill in your reservation details like the number of guests, date, and time, and leave you with just one tap to confirm the booking.

Want to watch a specific moment from a niche documentary? Tell Perplexity, and it’ll pull up the exact YouTube video, ready to play. This level of hands-on assistance sets it apart from Siri, which often stops at showing search results or basic tasks.

What makes Perplexity’s assistant stand out is its ability to understand natural, conversational language. While Siri has improved with Apple Intelligence, it can still feel rigid when faced with informal requests. Ask Siri to sign up for a weekend event, and you might get a web search in response.

Ask Perplexity the same thing, and it could prefill an event registration form, leaving you to hit “send.” This proactive approach is a game-changer for users who want their voice assistant to do more of the heavy lifting.

Of course, Perplexity’s assistant isn’t perfect. You’ll need to open the Perplexity app and tap the microphone to start talking, unlike Siri’s always-listening “Hey Siri” trigger. It also can’t handle some core iPhone functions, like setting alarms, muting notifications, or taking photos.

Unlike ChatGPT’s voice mode, it can’t access your camera to “see” what you’re looking at. Still, its ability to refine requests without starting from scratch makes it user-friendly. If your initial command isn’t spot-on, you can tweak it, and the AI picks up where you left off.

Perplexity’s move to iOS is part of a broader trend in AI development. Competitors like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini are also experimenting with agentic AI, aiming to evolve from simple voice tools to independent digital agents.

Perplexity is carving its niche by integrating real-world tools like OpenTable and YouTube, making it a practical choice for everyday tasks. For now, it stops short of fully autonomous actions, you still need to confirm that reservation, but future updates could push it even further.

Apple isn’t blind to this shift. Siri has received upgrades, but the full generative AI overhaul promised for iOS 18 has been delayed to sometime in the next year. This gives Perplexity an opening to capture iPhone users looking for a nimbler alternative.

Whether it’s booking tacos for dinner or finding a video clip, Perplexity’s assistant aims to deliver results with minimal effort. As one user put it on X, “Perplexity’s voice assistant feels like Siri but with a personal assistant’s hustle.”

The assistant’s arrival on iOS, announced on April 23, 2025, comes with a call to update the Perplexity app via the App Store. It’s a bold step for Perplexity, which is aiming to replace Siri for users who value action over answers.

If you’re tired of navigating apps manually or sifting through search results, this voice assistant might just become your iPhone’s new best friend. With its focus on doing rather than just telling, Perplexity is making a strong case for itself in the crowded world of AI assistants.

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