Apple has updated the Apple Store app’s privacy policy to include terms for a virtual shopping assistant that does not yet appear in the app. The update, spotted on July 22, 2026, reveals a chat interface where users can ask questions about Apple products, with Apple collecting account information, device identifiers, carrier information, chat data, and location data to power personalized responses.
As spotted by MacRumors, the feature is not live yet, though Apple may be testing it with a limited set of users. The privacy policy language also hints at a staged rollout, with wording suggesting the assistant will initially launch in select countries and regions, likely English-speaking markets first, before expanding further.
A third party is doing the heavy lifting
The updated policy reveals that Apple does not run its own model on the backend. Instead, Apple scrubs personal identifiers from user conversations before sharing them with unnamed “partners,” who use that information only to help Apple generate conversational responses. This setup indicates Apple is relying on a third-party AI provider.
Apple will also save chat transcripts for business analytics and, if users opt in, to improve the assistant over time. Users can control whether their chats contribute to training by going to Account > Settings > Chat Improvements.
Part of a broader retail AI push
This is not Apple’s first move into conversational AI for retail. The Apple Support app already has a virtual assistant, though it has not rolled out universally. Apple also added an AI chatbot to its Sales Coach app, an internal tool for retail partners, accessible through an “Ask” tab that answers questions from Apple’s official training materials. Bloomberg reported separately that Apple is testing a “Live Notes” system at select retail stores, where AI records and summarizes Genius Bar sessions so employees can focus on the customer rather than their notes.
The Apple Store shopping assistant fits that same pattern: Apple is systematically adding conversational AI to every layer of its retail operation, from internal employee tools down to the customer-facing shopping experience.
Whether a chat assistant improves the buying process is worth questioning. Apple’s product lineup is simpler than Amazon’s, and most buyers already know what they want before opening the app. The more likely use case is upselling, which explains why some users in early community discussions have flagged concerns about AI-driven recommendations nudging people toward pricier configurations.
