On May 7, 2026, Perplexity announced that its Personal Computer AI assistant is now available to all Mac users through a newly rebuilt macOS application. Previously restricted to high-tier Max subscribers, the expansion allows a broader audience to use the hybrid local-cloud agent for autonomous, multi-step tasks across their files and native apps.
Bringing Agentic Workflows to the Desktop
Personal Computer transitions Perplexity from a web-based "answer engine" to a native orchestrator capable of managing a user's local machine.
Local & Native Access: The agent can read, write, and search local files, as well as operate native Mac apps like Mail, Slack, Notes, and Finder.
Hybrid Orchestration: It intelligently delegates tasks across 20+ frontier models, using Gemini for deep research, Nano Banana for images, and ChatGPT for long-context recall.
Background Automation: Designed for long-running work, it can autonomously organize messy folders, compare local documents against web data, or complete full to-do lists while running quietly in the background.
The "Always-On" Mac mini Experience
Perplexity highlights the Mac mini as the ideal hardware for Personal Computer, turning it into a dedicated 24/7 digital proxy.
Remote Control: Users can initiate complex tasks from an iPhone and pick up the results later at their desk, while the Mac mini continues working even when other devices are closed.
Persistent Reasoning: This setup allows teams of agents to work continuously on complex projects, surfacing only when they reach a milestone or require human approval.
Security and User Control
Despite its deep system access, Personal Computer is built with a "user-in-the-loop" philosophy:
Secure Sandboxing: Files are created and managed in a secure environment to prevent unauthorized system changes.
Auditability: Every action the agent takes is fully auditable and reversible, providing transparency into its reasoning and tool usage.
Approval Gates: Sensitive actions require explicit user approval, ensuring the agent remains a supervised assistant rather than an autonomous rogue.
Availability and Subscription Tiers
App Access: The new Perplexity macOS app is available for download today at perplexity.ai/personal-computer.
Subscription Requirements: While any Mac user can download the app for basic queries and dictation, full access to Personal Computer features is tied to Pro, Max, and Enterprise subscription credit limits.
Legacy App: The previous Mac App Store version will be deprecated in the coming weeks, and users are encouraged to switch to the new direct-download version.
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