Overview
- Apple began quietly rolling the feature to select iPhone users on Monday, August 24, 2026, where the assistant appears labeled as an “Early Preview” inside the Apple Store app.
- The assistant uses a chat interface to answer questions about products, check existing orders, connect to a human specialist, and guide trade-ins and payment options.
- The app replaces the usual search icon with a chat-style speech-bubble in the bottom-right corner so users tap to open the virtual shopping assistant.
- Apple’s in-app privacy language says it may use personal information to personalize replies, and it may retain chat transcripts to improve the assistant, ensure quality, and monitor for fraud.
- The rollout remains limited and unannounced publicly, and earlier July privacy-policy references plus leaked screenshots and a removed LinkedIn post have already signaled the feature and raised questions about accuracy and staff impact.