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

Perplexity AI has launched a fully local version of their Computer tool for Apple Silicon Macs. This update, available to Pro, Max, and Enterprise subscribers since October 20, builds upon earlier releases of Personal Computer and Hybrid Compute features. Users can now choose to keep tasks entirely on their Mac or permit cloud processing when necessary.

The local version supports Qwen 3.6 and PPLX Pro models, both running on the Mac for reasoning and task coordination. Computer can interact with native Mac apps like Notes, Messages, Mail, and Numbers, performing tasks such as collecting information, modifying documents, and creating task lists. It can also analyze private financial data and prepare presentations.

However, the software has significant system requirements - at least 36 GB of unified memory. This exceeds the maximum available in many recent Mac models. The M5 Max Mac Studio is the only configuration that meets the recommendation without upgrading, while older Macs with sufficient memory may also qualify.

Perplexity notes that while local processing doesn't make every workflow completely independent of the internet, it does reduce the need to send sensitive data to remote servers. The software uses controlled permissions and isolated execution environments, but it doesn't specify whether Full Disk Access is required. This new local AI processing gives Mac users another alternative to Siri AI, which also uses on-device models and Apple's Private Cloud Compute infrastructure.