Perplexity Pro offers a feature that adjusts the tone of its responses. You can make answers more formal, casual, or technical depending on your needs. This setting is found in your profile settings and applies to all new conversations. This article explains how to change the output tone and what each option does.
Key Takeaways: Setting Perplexity Pro Output Tone
- Profile > Settings > Output Tone: Adjusts the default tone for all new conversations.
- Four tone presets: Default, Formal, Casual, and Technical.
- Applies to new chats only: Existing conversations keep their original tone.
What Is the Output Tone Setting in Perplexity Pro?
The output tone setting controls how Perplexity Pro phrases its answers. This feature is part of the Pro subscription and is not available in the free tier. You can choose from four presets that change the language style without altering the factual accuracy of responses.
The Default tone uses a neutral, professional style suitable for most tasks. Formal tone makes responses sound more academic or businesslike. Casual tone uses everyday language and shorter sentences. Technical tone includes more specialized terminology and assumes domain knowledge.
This setting is useful when you need responses tailored to a specific audience or context. For example, a formal tone works well for reports, while a casual tone fits quick internal messages.
Steps to Change the Output Tone in Perplexity Pro
Follow these steps to set the output tone for your Perplexity Pro account. The changes apply to all new conversations after you save them.
- Open Perplexity in your browser
Go to perplexity.ai and sign in to your Pro account. Ensure you are on the Pro subscription tier. - Click your profile icon
In the top-right corner of the page, click your profile picture or the default avatar icon. A dropdown menu appears. - Select Settings
From the dropdown menu, click Settings. This opens the account settings page. - Find the Output Tone section
On the Settings page, scroll down to the Output Tone section. It is located under General preferences. - Choose a tone preset
Click the dropdown menu labeled Output Tone. You see four options: Default, Formal, Casual, and Technical. Select the one you want. - Save the change
After selecting a tone, the setting saves automatically. A brief confirmation message appears at the top of the page.
After saving, start a new conversation to see the new tone in action. Existing conversations keep the tone they had when they were created.
Common Issues and Things to Avoid
The tone setting does not apply to existing conversations
The output tone setting only affects new conversations. If you want a different tone in an existing chat, you must start a new conversation. Copy important context from the old chat before closing it.
I see only Default in the Output Tone dropdown
This happens if your account is on the free tier. The output tone feature requires a Perplexity Pro subscription. Upgrade your account to access the other tone options.
The tone changes mid-conversation after I adjust the setting
Changing the output tone while a conversation is active does not affect that conversation. The new tone applies only to the next new conversation. Close the current chat and start a fresh one to see the change.
Technical tone uses jargon I do not understand
The Technical preset assumes you are familiar with the subject. If you receive answers that are too specialized, switch to Default or Casual tone. You can change the setting at any time.
Perplexity Pro Output Tone Options Comparison
| Item | Default | Formal | Casual | Technical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | General use | Reports, emails, documents | Quick notes, internal chat | Research, engineering, data analysis |
| Sentence length | Medium | Long, structured | Short, conversational | Variable, precise |
| Vocabulary level | Professional | Academic, elevated | Everyday, simple | Specialized, domain-specific |
| Example phrase | “The results indicate a trend” | “The data suggest a statistically significant pattern” | “Looks like things are going up” | “The regression coefficient shows a positive correlation” |
Select the tone that matches your current task. You can change it as often as needed.
Now you know how to set the output tone in Perplexity Pro. Use the Formal preset for business reports, Casual for quick team updates, and Technical for deep research. The Default tone works well for most daily tasks. To switch tones quickly, revisit the Settings page and pick a new preset before starting your next conversation.