Manus integrates its AI agent on the desktop with My Computer

Until now, Manus operated exclusively from the cloud, within an isolated environment with access to networking, a command line, a file system, and a browser. This architecture allowed it to function as a general-purpose AI agent, but presented an obvious limitation: users' working files, development environments, and applications were not in the cloud — they were on their own computers.

My Computer bridges that gap through the Manus Desktop application, available for macOS and Windows. The agent executes command-line instructions (CLI) directly in the user's terminal, allowing it to read, analyse, and modify local files, as well as launch and control installed applications.

The company illustrates the possibilities with several practical examples. For file management tasks, the system can automatically sort thousands of photographs into subfolders or rename hundreds of invoices to a standard format — processes that would take hours to do manually.

By having access to any command-line tool installed on the machine — Python, Node.js, Swift, Xcode — My Computer can handle complete development workflows. In an internal test, Manus built a real-time translation and subtitle application for Mac in Swift — coding, debugging, and packaging — without the user intervening. The result: a fully working application in twenty minutes.

The feature also allows users to leverage local computing resources, such as the machine's GPU, to train machine learning models or run large language models. In addition, any computer with Manus Desktop running can receive instructions remotely from any other device.

On the security side, every terminal command requires the user's explicit approval before execution, with options to authorise individually or permanently depending on the level of trust. My Computer also integrates with Google Calendar, Gmail, and other third-party services, as well as with projects and scheduled tasks within the Manus platform.

Key points

• Manus moves beyond the cloud and can act directly on the user's computer.
• My Computer executes terminal commands to read, modify, and manage local files and applications.
• It has access to installed development tools (Python, Node.js, Swift, Xcode) and can manage software projects end to end.
• It allows the local GPU to be used for training models or running language models.
• A computer with Manus Desktop active can receive instructions remotely from any device.
• Every action requires explicit user approval before execution.
• It integrates with Gmail, Google Calendar, and other cloud services.