Perplexity speech to text comes in two shapes. Perplexity's own voice features are built for conversation: you talk, and it answers out loud or acts for you. Dictation is different: your words land in the search box as text, so you can check a name or add a constraint before the search runs. LumeVoice does that on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android.
Short answer
Does Perplexity have voice search?
Yes. As of October 2026, Perplexity has a voice assistant in its iPhone and Android apps, a voice mode in its Mac and Windows apps (hold FN on Mac, Ctrl+Shift+X on Windows), and Voice Mode in its Comet browser. Each is designed for talking with Perplexity rather than for typing a question you can edit before it runs.
Perplexity's built-in voice features#
As of October 2026, the Perplexity Help Center describes these:
- iPhone app. Tap the voice icon in the input box to start a session, with microphone access allowed. The assistant can answer questions and take actions in other apps, and sessions are saved to your history. On iPhones with an Action Button, you can map it to "Start voice conversation."
- Android app. Make Perplexity your default assistant, then start it by swiping in from the bottom-left corner or by holding the power or home button, depending on your phone.
- Mac and Windows app. Hold FN on a Mac or press Ctrl+Shift+X on Windows to start voice mode, then say what you want. You can change the shortcut under Settings → Shortcuts. The app needs macOS 15 or later, or Windows 10 version 1809 or later.
- Comet browser. Start Voice Mode from the toolbar or with ⌥⇧V on a Mac or Alt+Shift+V on Windows. It answers questions about the page you're on, can open pages and follow links, and offers 36 conversation languages.
- Computer on the web. Perplexity added Voice Mode to Computer in March 2026, so you can describe a project or redirect it mid-task by voice.
Where a spoken session falls short#
Talking is great for quick questions. It's less great when the question is the hard part:
- Long, specific questions. "Compare these three tools for a ten-person team, using only sources from this year, as a table" is easy to say and easy to mishear. A spoken session responds to what it heard.
- Names and numbers. A misheard drug name, product model or year can send the whole search the wrong way.
- Quiet edits. Sometimes you want to say it, look at it, change one word, and only then press Enter.
How to dictate Perplexity questions with LumeVoice#
- Download LumeVoice for Mac or Windows and sign in.
- If you use Perplexity's Mac app, change its voice shortcut under Settings → Shortcuts. It also uses a held fn key, which is LumeVoice's default on a Mac.
- Click into the Perplexity box: the website, the desktop app or Comet.
- Hold fn (Mac) or Ctrl + Win (Windows), ask your question, and let go. Read it, fix anything, and press Enter.
- Ask follow-ups the same way, in the follow-up box. For a long, multi-part question, double-press the key for hands-free mode and press it once when you're done.
On your phone, open the Perplexity app and switch to the Lume keyboard on iPhone, or tap the Lume bubble on Android and keep your usual keyboard.
Ask the long version of your question
LumeVoice types what you meant, without the ums, in Perplexity and every other app.
- Self-corrections applied, multi-part questions formatted as lists
- A custom dictionary for names, brands and technical terms
- 3,000 free words, no card required
Tips for dictating better research questions#
Question first, then the rules. Start with what you want to know, then add the constraints: the time window, the kinds of sources, the region, and the format you want back. An illustrative example:
You say: "What changed in, um, EU rules for battery recycling since 2024, only official sources, and give me a short table by country, sorry, by battery type."
Lume types: "What changed in EU rules for battery recycling since 2024? Only official sources, and give me a short table by battery type."
Say what you already know. "I know the basics of X; I need Y" saves you a page of background you didn't ask for.
Number the parts. For a multi-part question, say "one," "two," "three" as you go. Lume turns them into a numbered list, which makes it easy to check that every part got an answer.
Correct as you go. If you change your mind halfway through a sentence, just say the new version. Lume keeps the correction and drops the false start.
Spell the hard words once. Add drug names, product models, people and places to Lume's custom dictionary, so they come out right the next time you ask about them.
Write up what you found. When the research is done, the same key dictates your summary into Google Docs or wherever your notes live.
Voice prompts that work well in Perplexity#
Three shapes cover most research questions. Say them in your own words; the structure is what does the work.
- Compare. "Compare [option A] and [option B] for [your situation], on [the criteria you care about], as a table, using sources from [time period]."
- Explain. "Explain [topic] for someone who already knows [what you know]. Skip the basics and give one real example."
- Check. "Is it true that [claim]? Point me to the original source, and tell me if experts disagree."
Each one is a sentence or two out loud, and each would take a while to type with all its conditions. That's the sweet spot for dictation: questions that are quick to say, slow to type, and worth reading once before they run.
Perplexity voice vs LumeVoice#
| Perplexity's voice features | LumeVoice | |
|---|---|---|
| When you talk | Perplexity listens and responds, out loud or by acting | Your words are typed into the box |
| Edit before it runs | Not what a spoken session is for | Yes, nothing is sent until you press Enter |
| Where | Perplexity apps, Comet, Computer on the web | Any text field on Mac and Windows, plus iPhone and Android |
| Shortcut | Hold FN (Mac), Ctrl+Shift+X (Windows) | Hold fn (Mac), Ctrl + Win (Windows) |
| Languages | Comet Voice Mode: 36 | 100, detected automatically |
| Answers out loud | Yes | No, it only writes |
| Dictation in your other apps | No, it's a Perplexity feature | Yes: Docs, Notion, Slack, email and more |
| Price | Included with Perplexity | 3,000 free words, then $14.99/mo, $79.99/yr, or $249 lifetime |
Swipe to see all columns
When Perplexity's own voice is the better choice#
Use Perplexity's voice features when you want a quick answer without looking at a screen, want the answer read back to you, want the phone assistant to act in other apps, or like browsing by voice in Comet. LumeVoice doesn't talk back, and it doesn't take actions.
Reach for LumeVoice when the question needs care, when you want to see it before it runs, or when you ask the same kinds of questions in ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini and want one key for all of them.
Ask it once, ask it well#
Talking to Perplexity is great for quick answers. For the questions that matter, say the long version, read it once, fix the one word that came out wrong, and then search. That habit works the same in every AI tool you use.