Perplexity Computer can now run fully on your Mac, even offline

It is a suite of AI agents. They can finish tasks on their own, using the web, your files and your apps. Engadget reports that Perplexity debuted Computer in February 2026 and compares it to Claude Cowork.

Since then it has grown into a few products. One is Personal Computer, the Mac version of the agent. Today's news adds a new way to run it.

Until now, part of the work always happened in Perplexity's cloud. Now it can all happen on your Mac.

9to5Mac describes it as a new local-first mode in the Mac app. It runs both the AI model and the agent directing the task on your computer.

Engadget adds that this covers the "harness" and the "orchestrator". Those are the parts that plan a job and hand out its steps.

Why it matters: Planning, reasoning and file processing can all happen on the device, and 9to5Mac says that includes running tasks with no internet connection.

A fairly strong one. Both Engadget and 9to5Mac give the same bar:

• Chip: an Apple silicon Mac, so a recent model with an M-series chip.
• Memory: at least 36GB of RAM, which Apple calls unified memory.
• App: the latest version of the Perplexity Mac app.

The 36GB requirement is the catch. Plenty of everyday laptops ship with less, so this mode is aimed at people with a well-equipped Mac.

Two choices at launch, according to Engadget:

• Qwen 3.6: an open model from Alibaba's Qwen family.
• PPLX Pro: a Perplexity offshoot of Qwen 3.6. The company did its own post-training on it to tune it for Computer use.

You download and set up the model through the app. Perplexity's instructions are simple: install the latest Mac app, then follow the in-app steps.

With your permission, Computer can work with local files and supported Mac apps. 9to5Mac lists Notes, Messages, Mail and Numbers.

Perplexity gives one example. The agent reviews your recent messages and emails, spots deadlines and writes an action list in Notes.

Engadget describes a similar case: with access to Notes and Mail, you ask Computer for a priority to-do list, and none of the data in your emails is sent to the cloud.

In real life It is Monday morning and your inbox is a wall of replies. You ask Computer to find every deadline this week. It reads your Mail and Messages on your own Mac and drops a short list into Notes, and your emails never leave the machine.

Only what you allow. 9to5Mac reports that files reach the cloud only when you approve.

Some jobs need more than your Mac can offer. Users can still authorize cloud access when a task needs current information, browser use or connected apps.

If a task would benefit from a stronger system, you can let a frontier model chip in. Engadget says you can authorize Computer to call on one of more than 15 models.

The catch: the local mode is a choice, not a lock. The more of the job you keep on your Mac, the less the cloud sees, and that trade is yours to make per task.

Computer can run code and use tools, so Perplexity keeps that work contained. Any code or tool execution a task needs is done in an isolated sandbox environment, Engadget reports.

Perplexity says the same security protocols apply in the cloud version of Perplexity Computer. In its words, they "persist in the cloud version."

It is the next step. At the start of September, Perplexity introduced Hybrid Compute, which splits a task between a frontier cloud model and a model running on your Mac. Engadget and 9to5Mac both point to it as the lead-up.

Here is how the two modes compare, based on their reporting:

Hybrid Compute is not going away. 9to5Mac says it remains available in the same Mac app.

When Hybrid Compute launched, Perplexity's Jon Staff, who oversees the company's Mac products, told Engadget that a fully frontier output is "going to almost always be better in terms of raw artifact creation." He added that some users care more about privacy and cost than about the strongest model.

Two reasons, and the company states both. Perplexity pitches the feature to users who want to keep their data private and to those who want to stay thrifty with credits.

The company explains the bet like this:

"As more demanding workflows become practical to run locally, the machines people already own will take on a larger share of their AI work. This gives users more control over sensitive data and credit spend."

At the Hybrid Compute launch, Engadget reported that locally generated tokens are not charged to you. The idea is that a Mac you already paid for does some of the work.

That was possible with Hybrid Compute, and it is the same app. Engadget reported at that launch that you can use an iPhone to queue up tasks.

Unite.ai adds that Perplexity pointed to a dedicated, always-on Mac mini as a good home for local AI. You control it from your iPhone, while the Mac does the heavy lifting at home.

Perplexity also said Apple's new Mac mini and Mac Studio, announced in late August, suit this kind of work. It credited the speed of Apple silicon and the way unified memory serves local AI.

Perplexity Pro, Max and Enterprise subscribers can start using Computer locally on October 20, 2026, Engadget reports. 9to5Mac confirms the same three plans.

The steps are short:

• Update: download and install the latest Perplexity Mac app.
• Choose: pick Qwen 3.6 or PPLX Pro as your local model.
• Install: follow the in-app instructions to download the model.
• Run: give Computer a task and decide what it may touch.

What's next: Perplexity has not said which other models or devices it plans to add to the local mode. For now it is a Mac feature.

• Check your memory: you need an Apple silicon Mac with at least 36GB of unified memory.
• Be a subscriber: the local mode is for Pro, Max and Enterprise plans.
• Keep private jobs at home: Mail, Messages and Notes tasks can run without sending their contents to the cloud.
• Stay in control: you decide when a task may reach out for current information or a frontier model.