Perplexity Computer can now run fully local on a Mac, Perplexity announced on October 20, 2026: both the agent that plans tasks and the model that reasons through them live on the machine itself, so it can work with local files and native apps without WiFi, and sensitive material no longer has to be uploaded to the cloud first. The capability is available now in the Perplexity Mac app for Pro, Max and Enterprise subscribers.
One step beyond hybrid compute
In September, Perplexity introduced Hybrid Compute, which split work between cloud models for research and reasoning and a local model for private files. The new fully local mode removes that split: planning, reasoning and file processing all happen on the Mac. Cloud access only comes back when a task genuinely needs current web information, browser use or connected apps, and only with the user's approval. Hybrid Compute remains available as an option in the same app.
The local workload is office-shaped. Computer can work with Notes, Messages, Mail and Numbers on the machine. Perplexity's own example is reviewing recent messages and emails, spotting the deadlines inside them, and creating an action list in Notes. Two local models are offered: the open Qwen 3.6, and PPLX Pro, Perplexity's own post-trained version of Qwen tuned for Computer, both downloaded and set up through the app.
The gate is written in memory
For the best experience, Perplexity asks for an Apple silicon Mac with at least 36GB of unified memory. That figure shuts out a large share of machines in active use, and it underlines a simple point: the bottleneck for local agents is not a software switch but hardware configuration. Capability is the other discount to apply. Local models handle everyday organizing work well, but complex research and long reasoning chains still trail frontier cloud models, and the fact that Perplexity keeps a cloud authorization path says fully local is not yet a full replacement.
For people who genuinely care where their data goes, the value here is concrete. When the material is contracts, email or financial spreadsheets you would rather keep on your own machine, there is now an option that does not require redaction first or trust in a cloud policy. Check whether your Mac's memory clears the bar before handing it your first real task.
