Perplexity Personal Computer

Turn your Mac into a 24/7 AI agent

The full setup guide for Perplexity's new Personal Computer. No terminal. No API keys. Just a Mac and a prompt.

Now Rolling Out
Available to Max subscribers + waitlist
Get on the list or upgrade to Max to unlock access today.
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What You're Building

An always-on agent on your Mac

Personal Computer runs Perplexity's agent locally on a Mac, with secure access to your files, native apps, and browser. You activate it with a double-tap of Command and give it goals by text or voice. Run it on a Mac mini and it works 24/7, even when you're on the other side of the world.

STEP 01

Get a Perplexity Max subscription

Personal Computer is exclusive to Max ($200/month). The standard Pro plan ($20/month) does not include it. If you're not on Max yet, upgrade through your Perplexity account settings, or join the waitlist if you want to try it before subscribing.

Tip

Max also unlocks higher Computer rate limits and priority access to new features. Worth it if you'll actually use the agent daily.

STEP 02

Choose your Mac

Personal Computer runs on any Mac with macOS 14 Sonoma or later. Perplexity recommends a dedicated Mac mini, because that lets the agent run continuously in the background without you needing to keep your main machine on.

Tip

A base M4 Mac mini is the cheapest path to a true 24/7 agent setup. Set it up once, leave it on, access it from anywhere.

STEP 03

Download the Perplexity Mac app

Personal Computer is delivered through the existing Perplexity Mac app. Download it from perplexity.ai or the Mac App Store, then sign in with your Max account.

STEP 04

Activate Personal Computer

Inside the app, switch on Personal Computer in settings. macOS will prompt you to grant permissions: file access, accessibility, and screen recording. Approve each one. The agent uses these to read your local files and operate native apps on your behalf.

Security note

Sensitive actions still require your approval, every session has a full audit trail, and there is a kill switch to stop the agent immediately. Leave these defaults on.

STEP 05

Trigger the agent

Double-tap the Command key from anywhere on your Mac to bring up the agent. It can see your active app and surface relevant actions automatically. Type or speak your prompt.

Read my to-do list in Notes and act on it
STEP 06

Set up your Mac for 24/7 operation

Open System Settings, then Lock Screen and Energy. Turn off display sleep, set the Mac to never sleep, and enable Wake for network access. This keeps the agent running and reachable from any device, even when you're not at the machine.

Tip

Plug the Mac mini into ethernet instead of Wi-Fi. The agent's reliability jumps significantly on a wired connection.

STEP 07

Test it with a real prompt

Pick a real workflow you do every week. Hand it over and watch the agent execute. Some prompts to try first:

Draft replies to my unread emails from the last 24 hours
Pull data from my files and build a summary in Numbers
Send the link in my last iMessage to John
Power User Tips

Get the most out of Personal Computer

  • Keep sensitive apps closed when running scoped tasks. The agent only sees what's open.
  • Use voice prompts when you're away from the desk. Faster than switching to a phone keyboard.
  • Always hit "Always allow" for the apps you trust the agent to use repeatedly. Cuts the prompt friction.
  • Stay present during account, payment, or credential flows. Approve each step manually.
  • Treat it like a junior teammate. Give it one clear goal at a time, not five stacked instructions.
  • Hit the kill switch if you ever see the agent doing something unexpected. You can take over your Mac at any time.
What To Use It For

High-leverage workflows

  • Aggregate data across apps that don't talk to each other. Notes, Mail, Numbers, browser tabs.
  • Aggregate health metrics from different portals, apps, and devices into a single dashboard.
  • Draft outbound emails using context from local files instead of switching tabs.
  • Run research overnight while you sleep. Wake up to organized output in the morning.
  • Operate apps that don't have a public API. The agent uses them visually, like you would.

Ready to set it up?

Start with the official Perplexity announcement, then upgrade to Max if you're not on it yet.

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Built by Adam Stewart