Overview
- Perplexity announced the new local-first Computer mode on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, which can run both the AI model and the agent entirely on a Mac without sending data to the cloud unless the user approves.
- The feature launches with two downloadable local models—Qwen 3.6 and PPLX Pro—and is available now to Perplexity Pro, Max, and Enterprise subscribers.
- Perplexity recommends Apple silicon Macs with about 36 GB of unified memory for the best experience, which limits practical use to newer, higher-memory machines.
- With user permission, the local agent can access Notes, Messages, Mail, Numbers, and local files to perform tasks like reviewing emails, creating action lists, editing documents, and running sandboxed code or tools.
- The local-first option complements September's Hybrid Compute by giving users an explicit choice to run workflows on-device to protect privacy and save cloud credits or to authorize cloud frontier models when web browsing, current data, or advanced reasoning is needed.