Perplexity Hybrid Compute on Mac
Perplexity introduced hybrid compute on Mac on 1 September 2026, saying Perplexity Computer uses cloud AI and local models on Mac to keep sensitive files and information on the device.
Tool Overview
Features, steps and FAQ below
Features
- ✓ Perplexity says hybrid compute divides each task between the cloud and a local model on your Mac: the cloud handles frontier reasoning, web search and planning, while the local model processes private files, sensitive information and on-device actions, coordinated by Computer
- ✓ Perplexity says a privacy gate on the Mac controls what may leave the machine: before information from a protected file reaches the cloud, the gate can mask sensitive details, keep it local, refuse the action, or ask for consent
- ✓ Perplexity says the privacy gate includes an on-device Perplexity classifier that identifies sensitive details like names, addresses, account numbers and secrets before they leave the Mac; credentials, payment card numbers and government IDs receive the strictest protection and can be kept local, refused or rewritten
- ✓ Perplexity says hybrid compute is enterprise-ready: Perplexity Enterprise admins can set organization-wide rules for what must stay on the Mac, what may be masked before cloud use and what requires user approval, and can audit when information leaves a device
- ✓ Perplexity says hybrid compute launches with three local models (Gemma 4 E4B, Qwen3.6 35B-A3B and a Perplexity model), is available to Pro, Max and Enterprise subscribers, and works on any Apple silicon Mac running macOS 15+ with at least 24GB of unified memory
How to Use
- Download and open the latest Perplexity Mac app (Perplexity for Mac)
- Download a local model in one click inside the app (such as Gemma 4 E4B or Qwen3.6 35B-A3B)
- Open the model selector, select hybrid, then choose the local and cloud models for the task and let Computer coordinate the workflow
- If you want to access local inference from anywhere, run Perplexity Computer on a dedicated, always-on Mac mini that can be remotely controlled from your iPhone
FAQ
What is hybrid compute on Mac?
Perplexity says hybrid compute lets Perplexity Computer use cloud AI and local models on Mac at the same time, dividing each task between the cloud and the device so it can work safely with sensitive data that should never leave the machine.
How does the privacy gate protect data?
Perplexity says the privacy gate on the Mac can mask sensitive details, keep them local, refuse the action or ask for consent before information from a protected file reaches the cloud, using an on-device classifier that identifies details like names, addresses, account numbers and secrets.
Who can use hybrid compute?
Perplexity says hybrid compute is available to Perplexity Pro, Max and Enterprise subscribers and launches with three local models: Gemma 4 E4B, Qwen3.6 35B-A3B and a Perplexity model.
What are the hardware requirements?
Perplexity says it works on any Apple silicon Mac running macOS 15+ with at least 24GB of unified memory, so a broad range of users can use hybrid inference on the Mac they already own.
How do organizations manage and audit it?
Perplexity says Perplexity Enterprise admins can set organization-wide rules for what must stay on the Mac, what may be masked before cloud use and what requires user approval, and can audit when information leaves a device.