Perplexity is taking aim at Siri. Just days after CEO Aravind Srinivas floated the idea of building a smarter, more reliable voice assistant for iPhone users, the company has rolled out a major update to its iOS app. It’s not a Siri replacement—Apple won’t allow that—but it comes surprisingly close.
The updated Perplexity app now supports voice commands for tasks that Siri typically handles. You can set reminders, search and play music or podcasts on Apple Music, send emails, schedule calendar events, and even request rides or book reservations. The assistant also supports Apple Maps for location-based queries, creating a more integrated experience than expected from a third-party app.
The Siri Problem
Siri’s grip on the iPhone isn’t about quality—it’s about control. Apple doesn’t let you replace Siri, trigger third-party assistants from the lock screen, or access certain system-level actions without going through Siri. That limits what competitors can do. But Perplexity is pressing up against those limits and delivering practical features anyway.
While it can’t replace Siri or fully integrate with the iPhone at the OS level, Perplexity has moved further than most. Unlike OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which treats voice as a secondary feature, Perplexity is treating it as a primary interface.
The app can’t be triggered with a wake word while the phone is locked, and it can’t perform all system-level functions. That’s Apple’s domain. Still, in the limited space third-party apps are allowed to operate, Perplexity has delivered what might be the most capable voice assistant outside of Siri itself.
What You Get Now
The integration of AI chatbot functions with voice commands is where Perplexity stands out. It’s not just answering questions—it’s completing tasks. That unified interface brings something new to the iPhone, even if Siri still controls the front gate.
The result is a hybrid of AI chatbot and voice assistant that handles real-world tasks through voice—on your terms. You speak, it responds, and it acts. It’s not just answering your questions.
As CEO Aravind Srinivas hinted, this update is about reliability and usefulness. Perplexity may not be a Siri killer, but it’s now the closest thing to a smart, voice-driven assistant that works with your iPhone instead of just talking at it.