Anthropic PBC has achieved parity with OpenAI, Google LLC and others with the launch of a new “voice mode” for its Claude-powered chatbot applications, enabling more conversational interactions for users.

Available in beta test now, Claude’s voice mode makes it possible for users to engage in “complete spoken conversations” with the generative artificial intelligence-powered assistant. It’s expected to enter general availability in the coming weeks, Anthropic said.

The launch of voice mode is a direct response to innovations from Anthropic’s rivals. For instance, Google offers “Gemini Live,” a conversational experience within the Gemini chat app, where users can also share their screen with it and ask questions about what they’re seeing. Elon Musk’s xAI Corp. has a similar offering, called “Voice Mode for Grok,” and OpenAI’s ChatGPT also supports voice conversations.

The feature is basically the same on all of them, allowing users to speak to the chatbots rather than type queries. It’s meant to make interactions feel more natural and intuitive.

Anthropic said today that users will be able to chat with Claude about pictures and documents, and they’ll be able to choose from five distinct voices. There’s a simple button for switching between text and voice, and each interaction will generate a transcript plus a summary of what was talked about.

In a support page, Anthropic said voice mode will make it easier for users to interact with Claude when their hands are busy, but their mind is not. By default, it’s powered by the Claude Sonnet 4 model, though users have the option to switch to other models.

We’re rolling out voice mode in beta on mobile.

Try starting a voice conversation and asking Claude to summarize your calendar or search your docs. pic.twitter.com/xVo5VHiCEb

— Anthropic (@AnthropicAI) May 27, 2025

There are some limitations, especially for free users of the app. According to Anthropic, free users can expect to have around 20 to 30 conversations daily before hitting their usage caps. Moreover, features such as the Google Workspace connector, which enables Claude to access Gmail and Google Calendar information, are only available to Claude Enterprise subscribers.

The company didn’t say much about what partners it has been working with to enable voice mode in Claude. But in March, Anthropic Chief Product Officer Mike Krieger told the Financial Times that it was discussing a possible collaboration with Amazon Web Services Inc. and the startup ElevenLabs Inc. on adding voice capabilities to Claude.

Image: Anthropic