Apple virtual shopping assistant appears in Apple Store app policy
Apple’s privacy policy references a retail chat tool, though no launch has been announced, as retailers shift budgets toward AI shopping.
By Rafael Ortiz · Fintech Correspondent
· 3 min read
Apple virtual shopping assistant references have surfaced in the company’s Apple Store app privacy documentation, suggesting Apple may be preparing an AI-style shopping tool for its retail app. Apple has not announced the feature, and AppleInsider reported that the tool was not visible in the Apple Store app after a July 22 update.
AppleInsider said Wednesday that Apple’s legal page for the Apple Store app includes language describing a “Virtual Shopping Assistant,” the information it may collect and a settings control for the feature. The report said that control does not yet appear in the app.
The reference matters because the Apple Store app is a direct sales channel for iPhones, Macs, services and accessories. A shopping assistant inside that channel could guide product discovery, answer purchase questions and tailor recommendations using customer and device data, subject to the terms Apple has listed.
What is Apple’s virtual shopping assistant?
Based on Apple’s privacy policy, the Virtual Shopping Assistant is a chat-based tool for the Apple Store app where available. Apple says it may collect and store account information, device identifiers, carrier information, chat content and, when enabled, location data to personalize the chat experience, provide relevant answers and improve the assistant if the user opts in.
The policy reference indicates how the tool would work at a data level, even though it does not confirm a launch date. A virtual shopping assistant typically uses a chat interface to interpret a buyer’s question, draw on product and account context, and return guidance that is meant to be more specific than a static product page.
Apple’s documentation also points to a toggle related to the assistant, according to AppleInsider. Because the control is not currently present in the app, the timing and scope of any rollout remain unconfirmed.
Retailers are shifting investment toward AI shopping tools
The Apple reference comes as retailers increase spending on AI-powered shopping features. PYMNTS Intelligence, in a report titled “Global Digital Shopping Index: The AI-Powered Shopper Has Arrived” and commissioned by Visa Acceptance Solutions, found that 37% of retailers named AI shopping assistants as the digital capability they most often plan to invest in over the next three years.
PYMNTS said that shift has coincided with less emphasis on digital commerce features that have become common, including support for cross-channel shopping, stored payment credentials and mobile apps. The firm said the change suggests merchants are becoming more selective about how they allocate development budgets and staff, rather than walking away from those established functions.
Consumer behavior is also moving in that direction, according to the PYMNTS report. It found that 47% of online shoppers used some form of AI during their most recent purchase, including for comparing products, researching purchases and finding product information before checkout.
The same research said 64% of consumers expect to use AI shopping agents within the next two years. PYMNTS said those adoption figures help explain why merchants are focusing on AI, with product discovery becoming another point of competition for consumer attention.
For Apple, any such feature would add an AI-assisted layer to a high-value retail channel. For now, the confirmed facts are limited to the privacy policy reference, AppleInsider’s report on the missing in-app setting and the absence of an official Apple announcement.
This story draws on original reporting from PYMNTS.
