Short answer: Dazzle: Marissa Mayer's photo-first personal assistant: it learns your taste, interests and important people from your camera roll and turns new photos and screenshots into tasks it can get done, buy, fix or plan. Instinct: Personal assistant you text or call; it uses a phone and computer the way people do to handle everyday tasks.
Dazzle vs Instinct
Sourced facts only. “Unknown” means not verified yet.
Key facts side by side
| Criterion | Dazzle | Instinct |
|---|---|---|
| Type | personal agent | personal agent |
| Vendor | Dazzle AI, Inc. (Palo Alto; founder and CEO Marissa Mayer) | Spear Street Technology (per TechCrunch) |
| Channels / category | iPhone app (iOS 26 or later), iMessage and text, web at dazzle.ai, plus an MCP for Claude, Codex and OpenClaw | Text or phone call (per instinct.com) |
| Pricing / availability | Free iPhone app; you download it to request an invite (App Store). Free for now; transaction fees or a subscription may come later (Mayer on CNBC, 29 Sep 2026) | Free, invite-only beta (per Fortune, 30 Sep 2026) |
| Launched | 2026-09-29 | 2026-02 |
| Funding (reported) | USD 8M seed round (December 2025, per TechCrunch) | USD 250M Series B at USD 2.5B valuation (Aug 2026); USD 1B Series C at USD 10B valuation (Sep 2026) |
| Channels confirmed | Mobile app, iMessage, SMS/text, Web | SMS/text, Phone call |
| Verified facts | Launched 29 Sep 2026 as an AI assistant that learns from your photos to become more personalised and proactive; 'Get It Done' reads new photos and screenshots and suggests what to buy, fix, add to the calendar or remember; 'Ideas' suggests restaurants, concerts and trips from past photos; Available in an iPhone app, by iMessage and text, and on the web; an MCP brings its photo intelligence into Claude, Codex and OpenClaw; You can share your full photo library, selected photos or none; photos that might be sensitive are excluded automatically; Acts on your behalf with its own accounts and tools rather than logging in as you or asking for credential-level access; Private data is not used to train public AI models, sold or used for third-party ads; it is encrypted in transit and at rest; Mayer says Dazzle asks permission before any action and does not delete or send photos from your camera roll; Free iPhone app for iOS 26 or later, 18+, by Dazzle AI, Inc.; download it to request an invite; rated 5.0 from 59 ratings on the US App Store as of 26 Oct 2026; Version 1.6 (18 Oct 2026) added Link wallet checkout and iOS 27 refinements; a later update lets you follow along as Dazzle shops, books and fills things out; Free for now; Mayer said transaction fees or a subscription may come later; Raised an USD 8M seed round in December 2025; Profiled by The New York Times on 25 Oct 2026; the Palo Alto team has 10 engineers | Interface: 'You can text or call it. It can use a phone and computer in the same way that humans do.'; Example tasks on its site: disputing a bill, sending gifts, ordering groceries, scheduling doctor's appointments, planning a getaway; Private beta launched February 2026 (Fortune, citing WSJ); invite-only beta since August 2026; Raised USD 250M Series B (Index Ventures, Benchmark) at USD 2.5B valuation; total USD 350M at the time; Raised USD 1B Series C (Sequoia, Benchmark, Coatue) at USD 10B valuation, 28 Sep 2026; Privacy concerns were raised online about broad app permissions (TechCrunch) |
| Website | https://dazzle.ai/ | https://instinct.com |
| Sources | [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] | [1] [2] [3] [4] |
| Last checked | 2026-11-11 | 2026-11-11 |
Frequently asked questions
What is Dazzle?
Marissa Mayer's photo-first personal assistant: it learns your taste, interests and important people from your camera roll and turns new photos and screenshots into tasks it can get done, buy, fix or plan.
What is Instinct?
Personal assistant you text or call; it uses a phone and computer the way people do to handle everyday tasks.
How much does Dazzle cost?
Free iPhone app; you download it to request an invite (App Store). Free for now; transaction fees or a subscription may come later (Mayer on CNBC, 29 Sep 2026)
How much does Instinct cost?
Free, invite-only beta (per Fortune, 30 Sep 2026)
Are Dazzle and Instinct the same type of agent?
Dazzle is listed as a personal agent and Instinct as a personal agent.
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