Overview
- Select iPhone users began seeing an “Early Preview” chat icon in the Apple Store app on Monday, August 24, giving them access to a virtual shopping assistant for product questions and order help.
- The assistant appears as a speech‑bubble icon that replaces the normal Search button and can answer product queries, compare devices, check orders, calculate trade‑in values, explain payment and carrier options, and connect users with a human specialist.
- Apple’s in‑app wording and a July privacy update confirm the feature uses artificial intelligence, can produce inaccurate answers, and may retain chat transcripts for personalization, quality checks, fraud monitoring, and limited partner use.
- Public confirmation of the test comes from multiple screenshots shared by leaker ShrimpApplePro, reports across outlets and a removed LinkedIn post by an apparent Apple staffer, while Apple has not formally announced broader availability.
- If rolled out widely, the assistant could reshape how customers shop in the Apple Store app by speeding common retail tasks, but users should verify pricing and trade‑in figures because Apple has not said the assistant can complete transactions or which model powers it.