Perplexity launched a fully local mode for its Computer agent on October 20. The model, the agent and your files stay on an Apple silicon Mac. It's for Pro, Max and Enterprise subscribers, and Perplexity recommends 36GB of unified memory or more.
Perplexity’s Computer agent can now run a whole task on a Mac with no cloud step. Perplexity announced the local mode on October 20. The AI model, the agent that plans the task and the file processing all run on the machine, and 9to5Mac notes that tasks work with no internet connection.
It’s available now in the Perplexity Mac app for Pro, Max and Enterprise subscribers on Apple silicon Macs.
How it works
Computer is the agent inside Perplexity’s Mac app. With permission, it works across local files and Mac apps, including Notes, Messages, Mail and Numbers. Perplexity’s example: it reads recent Messages and Mail, pulls out requests and deadlines, writes an action list in Notes and drafts follow-up replies for you to review.
The app now has two modes:
| Mode | Where the task starts | Built for |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid Compute (since September) | Perplexity’s cloud | Research plus work on private files |
| Fully local (new) | Your Mac | Tasks where the data should stay on the machine |
In local mode, Computer runs Qwen 3.6 or PPLX Pro, Perplexity’s post-trained version of Qwen. You download the model inside the app. You can still let a local task reach the cloud for current information, web browsing or connected apps. Perplexity says code and tool execution run in isolated sandboxes.
What hardware you need
Perplexity recommends 36GB of unified memory or more for running Computer locally. Its examples of supported machines are “the new Mac mini with M6 and M5 Pro.” It does not publish a minimum spec, which is the open question here.
What it means if you handle client data
The privacy argument gets concrete. Client proposals, financials and personnel notes are the files people hesitate to paste into a chatbot. A fully local agent can work on them without uploading them. Perplexity’s own examples are a client proposal built from confidential discovery notes and an internal rate sheet, and a portfolio review against private holdings.
Memory is the real cost. Check how much memory your Mac has before you plan around this. Memory on Apple silicon Macs can’t be upgraded after purchase. If you’re buying a MacBook Pro after Apple’s October 28 launch and on-device AI is part of the plan, pick the memory at checkout with this number in mind.
Local still needs a policy. The files stay on the laptop, but the agent still reads Mail and Messages. Decide which apps it gets permission to touch, the same way you’d scope a new hire’s access.
It changes the spend, too. Perplexity says running tasks locally gives users more control over credit use, since work that stays on the Mac doesn’t run on its cloud models.
The same week, Anthropic opened a preview of Claude Duet, an agent that works the opposite way, on its own cloud virtual machine (our report).