We've been seeing signs of an upcoming chatbot-based support feature in the Apple Support app, and it turns out it's already in testing. Some iPhone users have access to an early preview of the feature.
In the Apple Support app, the Support Assistant early preview can be accessed by tapping on a dedicated "Chat" button that's been added to the navigation bar. Only a select number of iPhone users will see the chat option at this time.
Tapping on the Chat button launches the new Support Assistant. It opens with a splash screen that gives you insight into how to use it. The Support Assistant is able to answer questions about your Apple products and services, providing troubleshooting information, answering questions about device features, and more.
The chatbot will not answer questions that are not related to Apple support, so you can't ask it details about upcoming products.
If the AI can't solve your issue, there is an option to escalate a chat to one of Apple's support staff for additional help.
Apple warns that the Support Assistant is an experimental feature that "may make mistakes." The company recommends that users verify important information.
It is not clear how long the early preview will last, and Apple hasn't provided details on when the Support Assistant will launch for all users.
(Thanks, Gatlyn!)
