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.