Perplexity AI iPhone App Your Smart AI Answer Engine on iOS
Turn your iPhone into a genius in your pocket — Perplexity AI gives you instant, cited answers, deep research, and smart voice search in one powerful app.
Perplexity AI is an AI-powered “answer engine” that gives you accurate, sourced answers to almost any question you ask. On iPhone, it comes as a native app listed as “Perplexity – AI Search & Chat” / “Perplexity – Ask Anything” on the App Store.
Instead of showing a list of links like a normal search engine, Perplexity summarizes the answers and shows citations from the web, so you can verify where the information comes from.
The iOS app syncs with your Perplexity account across devices and uses a mix of top AI models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, and more to generate responses.
Conversational search: Ask questions in natural language instead of typing keywords.
Cited answers: Every answer includes linked sources and references at the bottom, so you can check accuracy quickly.
Real-time web access: Results are based on up-to-date web content, not just a static training set.
This makes it ideal for research, fact-checking, homework, news summaries, and general learning.
Perplexity’s Pro Search / Deep Research mode is designed for more complex queries:
Runs multiple searches and aggregates them.
Provides longer, more detailed answers.
Helps you explore a topic step-by-step instead of just giving one short reply.
These advanced modes are one of the main reasons people upgrade to Perplexity Pro (more on pricing below).
Each query becomes a thread.
You can ask follow-up questions in the same thread and Perplexity keeps the context.
This feels more like chatting with a tutor or assistant than doing separate searches.
The Perplexity iPhone app includes voice mode, so you can talk instead of type.
On top of that, Perplexity offers an iOS Voice Assistant that you can invoke via shortcuts:
Ask questions by voice.
Have it perform tasks or help with more complex workflows on your phone.
It can integrate with other apps using Apple’s Shortcuts system.
Many users treat this as a smarter Siri-style assistant for research, planning, and everyday questions.
Recent app updates have added:
Image generation directly from your iPhone.
A Labs area where Perplexity experiments with new features.
Improved voice-to-voice (V2V) interactions and more supported languages.
This makes the app useful not just for text answers but also for creative tasks and multimedia responses.
Sign in with the same account on web, Mac, and iOS.
Your threads and history sync, so you can start research on your iPhone and continue later on desktop.
On iPhone, you can use Perplexity for free:
Access to the core answer engine.
Citations and web-backed responses.
Limited use of advanced models and Pro searches per day.
This is enough for casual use, quick answers, and light research.
For heavier users, there’s Perplexity Pro, which you can subscribe to via Apple’s in-app purchases:
Approx. price: $20/month or $200/year for individuals (exact local currency and pricing may vary in your region and App Store).
Unlocks:
Unlimited Pro searches.
Access to premium AI models and bigger context windows.
Extended Deep Research usage.
Enhanced image generation and Labs access in many regions.
If you upgrade through the iOS app, billing and subscription management are handled by Apple under your Apple ID. You can manage or cancel it via:
App Store → Profile icon → Subscriptions → Perplexity – Ask Anything / AI Search & Chat.
If you don’t renew, your account automatically drops back to the free tier after the current billing period ends.
Perplexity also offers:
Education Pro (discounted, with verification)
Enterprise Pro / Enterprise Max for teams and companies.
You typically sign up for these via the web, but once your account is upgraded, you can use the benefits on the iPhone app as well.
Open the App Store on your iPhone.
Search for: “Perplexity AI”, “Perplexity – AI Search & Chat”, or “Perplexity – Ask Anything”.
Confirm the developer is Perplexity AI, Inc.
Tap Get (or the cloud icon) to download.
Open the app and sign in or create a free account.
(Optional) Upgrade to Pro via in-app purchase if you need more power.
Compatibility: the app supports iPhone and iPad, and is categorized under Productivity with an 18+ age rating in many regions.
Open the app and tap the search bar.
Type a question like: “Explain quantum computing in simple terms”.
Hit Search. Perplexity will:
Generate a clear answer.
Show citations you can tap to open in Safari or the in-app browser.
Use the follow-up box at the bottom to ask related questions:
“Give me a real-life example”
“Summarize this in 3 bullet points for a school project”
Perplexity keeps the full thread context, so replies stay consistent.
Tap the microphone icon (if available in your region) to speak instead of typing.
You can also use Perplexity’s iOS Voice Assistant integration via Shortcuts to launch voice mode more quickly, almost like a Siri replacement for deeper questions.
If you’re on Pro:
Toggle Pro Search / Deep Research (usually a button or option near the input box).
Use this when:
Topics are complex.
You need multi-step reasoning.
You’re working on a serious research project.
From the Labs or experimental areas, you may find:
Image generation: Ask Perplexity to create a visual for you.
New experimental tools that roll out frequently in updates.
Turn long articles into short summaries.
Ask for explanations at your level (e.g. “explain like I’m 15”).
Quickly find sources for essays or projects, with citations included.
Rapidly scan topics, competitors, or market trends.
Get draft emails, outlines, or briefs with linked references.
Use voice or mobile access during commuting or meetings.
Generate ideas, outlines, and content drafts.
Ask for titles, hooks, and headlines with source-aware recommendations.
Use image generation for concept visuals and inspiration.
Plan trips, compare products, or check news, with sources to verify claims.
Ask random questions you would normally “Google,” but get concise answers + links.
Perplexity does not work offline. It depends on cloud-based AI and live web access, so you need a stable data or Wi-Fi connection on your iPhone.
According to the App Store privacy disclosures, the app may collect data such as:
Purchases, user content, identifiers, usage data, diagnostics, and more—some of which may be linked to your identity.
Always review:
Perplexity’s privacy policy, and
Your iOS privacy settings (Settings → Privacy & Security)
to control what you’re sharing.
The app is generally rated 18+ in many regions due to the nature of internet content and AI responses.
Even though it’s powerful, it can still make mistakes or misinterpret certain topics, so:
Always double-check critical information.
Treat it as a smart assistant, not an ultimate authority.
Be specific with prompts:
Instead of “Explain climate change,” try “Explain climate change in 5 bullets for a school presentation, include recent stats and sources.”
Use follow-up questions:
Don’t restart new threads for everything—keep context in one place.
Combine with Shortcuts:
Create shortcuts like “Ask Perplexity” to open voice mode quickly using Siri phrases.
Try Pro if you hit limits:
If you keep seeing Pro limits or need heavy research daily, the subscription may be worth it for unlimited Pro searches and better model access.
The Perplexity AI iPhone app is one of the strongest mobile AI tools if you care about fast answers + real citations. It combines:
AI chat
Web search
Voice interaction
Research tools
into a single app that you can carry around all day.
If you’re building content, studying, or just love exploring topics on your phone, this is a very capable “AI browser in your pocket” — especially once you learn how to use Pro Search, voice, and follow-up threads together.
