The Manus Desktop app now includes a feature called My Computer, which allows the artificial intelligence agent to interact directly with files, applications, and hardware on a user’s local machine. The company, now part of Meta, said the feature is available for macOS and Windows users starting March 16, 2026.
How the Manus Desktop App Bridges Cloud and Local Computing
Previously, Manus operated exclusively within a cloud sandbox environment. That environment provided networking, a command line, a file system, and a browser. However, the company said users’ most critical work — including project files, development environments, and applications — resides on local machines, not in the cloud.
My Computer addresses this gap by executing command line interface (CLI) instructions directly in the user’s terminal. This allows Manus to read, analyze, and edit local files, as well as launch and control local applications. Every terminal command requires explicit user approval before execution.
File Management and Development Use Cases
The company provided several practical examples of the feature’s capabilities. A user with thousands of unsorted photos can instruct Manus to scan, categorize, and sort them into subfolders automatically. An accountant needing to rename hundreds of invoices to a standard format can complete the task in minutes rather than an afternoon.
On the development side, Manus can leverage command line tools including Python, Node.js, Swift, and Xcode. The company said one colleague used Manus to build a real-time meeting translation and subtitle application in Swift on a Mac. The entire process — from project creation and coding to debugging and packaging — completed in approximately 20 minutes through terminal commands alone, without manually opening Xcode.
“This is what becomes possible when a general AI agent gains full access to your local machine.”
Manus, Company Statement
Local GPU and Idle Hardware Utilization
My Computer also enables users to direct Manus toward idle computing hardware. Users can instruct Manus to use a local GPU to train a machine learning model or run a large language model for inference. An always-on device such as a Mac mini can function as a remote AI assistant, accessible from any device worldwide as long as Manus Desktop is running.
The company described this as a combination of cloud intelligence and local compute. Users can send instructions from a mobile phone and have Manus execute tasks on a home computer remotely.
Integration with Existing Services and Scheduled Tasks
My Computer integrates with Manus’s existing connections to Google Calendar, Gmail, and third-party services. As a practical example, the company described a scenario where a user away from their laptop needs a contract file from their home computer. Manus can remotely access the machine, locate the file, and send it via Gmail — bridging local storage and cloud applications in a single workflow.
The feature also supports personal Projects, Agents, and Scheduled Tasks. This allows users to create recurring local routines, such as organizing a Downloads folder each morning or generating a weekly summary report from local data. The company stated that user control remains central to the design, with approval required for every terminal command unless the user selects the “Always Allow” option for trusted tasks.
Availability and Setup
My Computer is available today for all macOS and Windows users of the Manus Desktop application. To get started, users download the Manus Desktop app, sign into their Manus account, click “My Computer,” and add the local folders they want Manus to access. The AI agent then operates within those authorized directories.