Apple appears to be preparing to launch a new AI-powered shopping assistant for the Apple Store app, with references to the unreleased feature discovered in the app’s updated privacy policy.
According to a report from MacRumors, Apple has updated the Apple Store App & Privacy page with a new section titled Virtual Shopping Assistant, outlining how customer information and chat data will be handled when using the feature. While Apple has yet to officially announce the assistant, the updated wording strongly suggests a launch could be on the horizon.
According to the updated privacy policy, the virtual shopping assistant will be able to use information including a user’s Apple Account details, device identifiers, carrier information, chat history, and, where permitted, location data to personalise conversations and provide more relevant shopping recommendations.
Apple also says chat transcripts will be stored so customers can return to previous conversations, while the data may also be used for business analytics. Users will have the option to allow their conversations to help improve the assistant through a new Chat Improvements setting within the Apple Store app.
One notable detail is Apple’s confirmation that chat conversations may be shared with unnamed partners after personal identifiers have been removed. The company says those partners will only use the information to help generate conversational responses, suggesting Apple could be relying on a third-party large language model to power at least some of the assistant’s capabilities.
The privacy policy also indicates the feature will only be available “where the Apple Store app virtual shopping assistant is available,” implying Apple plans a phased rollout that could initially be limited to selected countries and regions before expanding more widely.