Meta adds iPad support to Muse AI agent as app tops iPhone charts
In short
Meta released an iPad version of its Muse AI agent, about a month after the app debuted on iPhone, where it has spent several weeks as the top free app on Apple's U.S. App Store. The update adds connectors to software such as Canva, Dropbox, Figma, GitHub, Zoom and Notion, and targets small business owners with tools to plan marketing and client pitches. CNBC reported Meta's stock is up about 20% since launch, while analysts cited by the outlet said the bigger question is whether users keep using Muse and trust it with personal data.
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Meta has released an iPad version of its Muse AI agent, roughly a month after the app first launched on iPhone. The update adds native iPad support alongside new connectors that let the agent work with other software, including Canva, Dropbox, Figma, QuickBooks, GitHub, Zoom, Asana, Klaviyo, Granola and Notion. The Verge reported the iPad version should work like Muse on iPhones but make better use of the larger screen and iPadOS multitasking. [ 2 , 3 ]
Muse has spent several weeks as the top free iPhone app on Apple's U.S. App Store, the tech outlets reported. Meta first launched the app for iPhone and added a Mac version afterward, with 9to5Mac saying that came a few days later and The Verge saying about a week after. The tech outlets describe Muse as Meta's agentic AI tool competing with OpenClaw, ChatGPT Dots and Grok Bot. [ 2 , 3 ]
The new update also targets small business owners, according to The Verge, with an option to give Muse a business goal that the agent uses to autonomously plan marketing, client pitches and new product pages. The Verge added that the faster turnaround for Muse on Apple's tablets, compared with the 15 years it took Meta to release a dedicated Instagram app for iPad, is an indicator of the company's support for its AI initiatives. Meta has also announced a standalone Tamagotchi-like device called the Muse Charm that runs the AI agent without a smartphone, The Verge reported. [ 3 ]
CNBC reported that the buzz around the agent has excited investors, with Meta's stock up about 20% since the app's launch and its best month in September since 2022. Muse is free to use, CNBC said, with monthly subscription plans priced at $20 or $100 depending on tokens, a metric the company uses to calculate the power AI agents need to accomplish tasks. Meta is pitching Muse to consumers and small businesses for tasks such as organizing personal emails, searching for shopping deals or seeking prospective customers, CNBC said. [ 1 ]
CNBC framed the next challenge as retention. It quoted Meredith Whalen, chief research officer at IDC, saying Muse “has an opportunity to be sticky with consumers because it's a task-completer, rather than just a chatbot.” Whalen said it is unclear whether consumers will hand over the kind of personal data required for an efficient digital assistant, calling that a particularly big obstacle for Meta, which CNBC said agreed to an almost $17 billion settlement with a group of states alleging it misrepresented child mental health harms caused by apps like Facebook and Instagram. “The real question is trust,” Whalen said, adding that “price comes later, once the habit is established.” [ 1 ]
Why it matters
Muse is the centerpiece of Meta's artificial intelligence strategy as the company trails competitors such as OpenAI and Google in the AI market, according to CNBC. The rapid expansion from iPhone to Mac to iPad signals how heavily Meta is backing its AI initiatives, The Verge reported. Whether the app becomes a lasting habit, and whether users will hand over personal data, remains open.
Key facts
- Meta's Muse AI agent app has spent several weeks as the top free iPhone app on Apple's U.S. App Store. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The latest Muse update adds native iPad support along with new connectors for other software tools. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Muse was originally launched for iPhone; a Mac version followed days to about a week later, according to the two tech outlets. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Meta describes Muse as competing with OpenClaw, ChatGPT Dots and Grok Bot. [ 2 , 3 ]
- CNBC reported Meta's stock is up about 20% since the app's launch and had its best month in September since 2022. [ 1 ]
- Muse is free to use, with monthly subscription plans priced at $20 or $100 depending on tokens, CNBC reported. [ 1 ]
- IDC's Meredith Whalen said the real question for Meta is trust, given the personal data an efficient digital assistant requires. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether users will keep using Muse long enough to make it a habit. CNBC frames retention as the next challenge and cites an analyst who says it is unclear whether consumers will share the personal data needed for an efficient digital assistant.
- The timing of the Mac version's release. 9to5Mac says it came a few days after the iPhone version; The Verge says about a week after.
- Whether $20 and $100 monthly subscription tiers are the full pricing picture. Only CNBC states the pricing, described as depending on tokens.
- How Meta's nearly $17 billion settlement with states over child mental health harms affects adoption of Muse. Mentioned only by CNBC, which presents it as an obstacle tied to the trust question.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- CNBC publishes a report on Muse topping app charts, Meta's stock gain and the retention and trust questions. [ 1 ]
- 9to5Mac reports the Muse update adding iPad support, new connectors and describing the app's run as the top free iPhone app. [ 2 ]
- The Verge reports the iPad launch, the added software connectors and new small business features. [ 3 ]