Perplexity's Personal Computer app now available for all Mac users
What's the story
Perplexity has announced the general availability of its Personal Computer app for all Mac users. The innovative software, which was previously exclusive to Perplexity Max subscribers and required a waitlist, is now accessible through the company's new Perplexity Mac app. The move comes as part of a broader trend toward local artificial intelligence (AI) agents that can perform tasks on behalf of users.
Enhanced capabilities
The app extends Perplexity Computer to local devices
The Personal Computer app is an extension of Perplexity's multi-model digital worker, Perplexity Computer. It aims to bring these capabilities directly to users' devices by allowing AI agents access to local files, applications, connectors, and the web. This way, it can handle complex personal workflows for individual users. The company describes this move as taking "Computer out of the cloud-only world and onto the device where most of your real work already takes place."
Advanced functionality
It can leverage personal context within a secure environment
The Personal Computer app can work with local files, native Mac apps, and the web. It can orchestrate tools, use over 400 connectors, and leverage personal context within a secure development environment on Perplexity's servers. If used with Perplexity's AI-powered Comet web browser, it can operate web-based tools without direct connectors. This way, users get a more secure AI-enabled computing environment than what was offered by OpenClaw.
Remote control
It can run autonomous agents on always-on devices
The Personal Computer app is designed to run autonomous agents on always-on devices like a Mac Mini. It can even be accessed remotely from an iPhone, letting users start tasks or approve requests from their device. Perplexity envisions this tool being used for all kinds of work, including spreadsheets, documents, and projects with different materials. This cross-app functionality could allow agents to compare files from different apps or pull notes from one app to create a draft in another.
App transition
The updated Mac app is available for direct download
With the general availability of the Personal Computer app, Perplexity plans to deprecate its older Mac app in the coming weeks. The company wants to focus on the Personal Computer app. As of now, the updated Mac app is available as a direct download only and not through the Mac App Store.