Perplexity Computer can run completely local on Mac, with a big caveat

Perplexity Computer now runs entirely on Apple Silicon Macs, but its recommended RAM requirement is pretty steep and limits actual deployments.

The fully local mode launched October 20 for Perplexity Pro, Max, and Enterprise subscribers. The release builds on April's Personal Computer launch and September's Hybrid Compute update. Personal Computer brought AI automation to native Mac apps, while Hybrid Compute paired local processing with cloud-based reasoning.

Users can now choose to keep an entire task on their Mac or authorize cloud processing when additional capabilities are needed. That is, assuming the minimum requirements are met.

Perplexity Computer can work across local Mac apps

The fully local version of Computer supports Qwen 3.6 and PPLX Pro, a Perplexity-trained version of Qwen. Both models run on the Mac, handling reasoning and coordinating tasks without relying on remote AI servers.

With permission, Computer can work across native apps including Notes, Messages, Mail, and Numbers. Rather than simply generating text, the agent can collect information, modify documents, and complete tasks involving several apps.

Perplexity says Computer can review messages and emails, identify outstanding deadlines, and create a task list in Notes. It can also analyze private financial information against downloaded market data, update an Excel workbook, and prepare a Keynote presentation for review.

Code execution and tool operations take place in isolated sandbox environments, according to Perplexity, with controlled access to files and supported apps. Users can also authorize Computer to access cloud services for current information, browser use, connected apps, and advanced reasoning using more than 15 frontier models.

Fully local processing doesn't necessarily make every workflow independent of the internet. Sending an email or accessing an online service still requires a network connection, even when the AI model itself remains on the Mac.

Fully local AI demands more Mac memory

Perplexity recommends at least 36 GB of unified memory for running Computer locally, which exceeds the maximum available in some recent Apple silicon Macs. According to Apple's technical specifications, the standard M6 Mac mini starts with 16 GB and supports a maximum of 32 GB, falling short of Perplexity's recommendation.

The M5 Pro Mac mini can meet the recommendation with a 48 GB or 64 GB configuration. Meanwhile, the M5 Max Mac Studio starts with 36 GB, making it the less expensive of the two Mac Studio configurations that meets the recommendation without upgrades.

Older Apple Silicon Macs with sufficient memory can also qualify. Perplexity describes 36 GB as a recommendation rather than a strict minimum, so users with less memory aren't necessarily prevented from running the software.

The recommendation illustrates how memory capacity can determine which Macs are suitable for demanding local AI workloads. Larger models need enough space for their data while leaving resources available for macOS and other running apps.

Perplexity previously published inference benchmarks for Qwen 3.6 on an M5 Max MacBook Pro. Those tests don't show how complete Computer workflows perform across different Mac configurations, and Perplexity hasn't released comparable results.

Apple is preparing tighter controls for AI agents

Perplexity's expansion comes as Apple moves to tighten macOS privacy protections against autonomous AI agents. On October 2, Apple announced plans to strengthen Full Disk Access controls to prevent apps from exposing sensitive information without users fully understanding the risks.

Full Disk Access allows backup utilities to reach files that macOS ordinarily protects, but it can also expose emails, messages, browsing history, and other private information. The risks extend to people communicating with the Mac's owner, whose information could become accessible through those apps.

In a developer notice, Apple said future controls will require more explicit user action before granting such extensive access. The company hasn't announced when those changes will arrive, and it isn't eliminating Full Disk Access entirely.

Perplexity says Computer uses controlled permissions and isolated execution environments, but its announcement doesn't specify whether the local agent requires Full Disk Access.

Local AI processing reduces the need to send private data to remote servers, but it doesn't eliminate security risks. An agent can still mishandle sensitive files or follow malicious instructions embedded in documents.

The launch also gives Mac users another alternative to Siri AI, which uses on-device models and Apple's Private Cloud Compute infrastructure for more demanding requests. Both systems can work with personal context and perform actions across apps, although their capabilities and underlying architectures differ.