Perplexity Teammates: Agents for Ongoing Work, Local Mac Computer
Perplexity Teammates are Max-only agents that own ongoing jobs; Computer now runs fully on Apple-silicon Macs for Pro and Max, and Voice mode uses gpt-live-1.
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Perplexity’s November 6, 2026 release adds Teammates, AI agents that take over an ongoing job instead of a one-off task, for individual Max subscribers on the web. The same update lets Computer, Perplexity’s agent for multi-step work, run fully on supported Apple-silicon Macs for Pro, Max and Enterprise, and adds a Voice mode built on OpenAI’s gpt-live-1. Everything below comes from Perplexity’s changelog entry and the linked help and blog pages, read on 7 November 2026.
What Perplexity Teammates do
A teammate is given a responsibility, not a prompt: triage an inbox, watch competitors, draft replies to customer emails. According to the Teammates help article, it plans the work, runs tasks in parallel, keeps memory between conversations and follows through until results are ready for review. It can monitor connected tools such as Slack, GitHub and Linear, act when something changes, schedule follow-ups, and work with other teammates.
Setup is short. In the sidebar, hover over Teammates and select Create teammate, give it a name or role, describe the job (including a schedule if it repeats) and finish setup in the chat that opens. To connect a service, you ask the teammate (“Connect Slack”) and review the permissions. In Slack, a teammate can be tagged as an app in the channels it monitors.
Some details matter before you hand over real work:
- Model. New teammates default to Claude Opus 5.5; you can choose another model per teammate or per task.
- Isolation. Each teammate runs on its own isolated computer with its own desktop and browser. Saved credentials are encrypted and teammates cannot view them.
- Permissions. Teammates use your installed plugins and skills with your permissions. The help article describes taking over and steering, not a formal approval step for each action, so connect only what the job needs (for GitHub, only the repositories it needs).
- Cost. Teammates spend Max’s monthly credits. Perplexity publishes no per-task figure and warns that parallel agents, large codebases and frequent automations use more.
Who gets what
| Feature | Plans | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Teammates (research preview) | Individual Max only; Enterprise on request via admin | Web |
| Fully local Computer | Pro, Max, Enterprise | Mac app 26.42.0+, Apple silicon, 36 GB memory recommended |
Voice mode (gpt-live-1) | Pro, Max | Desktop web and Mac app |
| Agent Plugins | Individual plans, Self-Serve Enterprise; sales-assisted Enterprise by opt-in | Computer |
At the time of writing, Pro costs $20 a month and Max $200 a month.
Computer now runs fully on your Mac
Perplexity already offered Hybrid Compute, where a task starts in the cloud and works with local files. The new Local mode keeps “the task’s planning, reasoning, and file processing on device”, according to Perplexity’s blog post. It launches with two local models, Qwen 3.6 and PPLX Pro, a post-trained version of Qwen. With permission, Computer can work in local files and Mac apps such as Notes and Mail.
The limits are practical. You need a supported Apple-silicon Mac, and Perplexity recommends 36 GB of unified memory or more, which rules out most base-model laptops. Current information, browsing and connected apps still require you to authorise the cloud. Perplexity frames local mode as giving “more control over sensitive data and credit spend”, but does not state that local tasks use no credits.
Voice mode, plugins and smaller changes
Voice mode lets Pro and Max users navigate Perplexity, open files, manage Projects and start Computer tasks by voice. Agent Plugins bundle connectors and skills into one install, and can be imported from a public GitHub repository or a .zip file.
For Computer users, long sessions now compact history in the background; Perplexity says this cuts pauses on long context by 94% and credits per turn by 7% (its own figures). Messages sent while Computer works can be held and processed in turn. New skills include Taste Skill, MotionSites, HyperFrames and Teardown. Brain, the Project memory, is now free in every Project, and Enterprise admins can cap Computer effort and speed by role. Developers get a Batch API for up to 50,000 requests and cheaper Agent API effort levels.
Should you upgrade to Max for Teammates?
Not on day one. Teammates are a research preview with unpublished credit costs, so they suit Max subscribers who already run Computer daily and have recurring work to hand off. Pro users get the more immediately useful change: local Computer, if their Mac has the memory. Our earlier Perplexity Computer update covers credits and effort settings, and our Perplexity review explains which plan fits which user. Comparing agents across vendors? See the best AI agent builders or more in news.
Frequently asked questions
What are Perplexity Teammates?
Teammates are AI agents that own an ongoing job rather than a single task. You describe the responsibility and a schedule, and the teammate plans the work, runs tasks in parallel, monitors connected tools such as Slack, GitHub or Linear, and brings results back for your review. Each one runs on its own isolated computer with its own browser.
Which Perplexity plan do I need for Teammates?
An individual Max subscription ($200 a month at the time of writing). The research preview is not on Pro, and Enterprise Pro and Enterprise Max are not included by default; Enterprise users have to ask their admin to request access. Teammates work on the Perplexity website only.
Can Perplexity Computer run offline on a Mac?
It can run fully on-device on supported Apple-silicon Macs for Pro, Max and Enterprise subscribers, using the Mac app 26.42.0 or later, with 36 GB of unified memory or more recommended. Planning, reasoning and file processing stay on the Mac. Current information, browsing and connected apps still need you to allow the cloud.
Do Perplexity Teammates use credits?
Yes. Teammates draw on Max's monthly credit allocation, and Perplexity says complex jobs use more, especially with parallel agents, large files or codebases, or frequent automations. It does not publish a per-task cost, so watch the Usage page in your first weeks.
What model does Perplexity Voice mode use?
Perplexity's changelog says the new Voice mode runs on OpenAI's gpt-live-1. It is for Pro and Max on desktop web and the Mac app, and lets you navigate Perplexity, manage Projects and start Computer tasks by voice.
