The Manus Desktop App for Mac and Windows

Manus AI has an official desktop app, Manus Studio, for macOS on Apple Silicon and Windows 10 and 11. At Layer3Labs, we build AI workflows for small and mid-sized businesses, and the first decision with the Manus desktop app is which folders and commands it may touch.

The Manus desktop app runs on both free and paid accounts, drawing from your unified account credit balance rather than requiring a dedicated software subscription.

Does Manus Have a Desktop App?

Manus has an official desktop app for macOS on Apple Silicon and Windows 10 and 11. Its My Computer feature lets Manus run terminal commands you approve, inside folders you authorize. Manus renamed the app Manus Studio, "a shared workspace for people and AI," when it launched Manus 2.0 on September 28, 2026. The download is free. You can download the native installer directly from the Manus desktop page or install the Windows release through the Microsoft Store listing.

The Manus troubleshooting article lists Apple Silicon M1, M2, M3, and M4 Macs as supported. Intel-based Mac computers are not supported. For PC hardware, the Manus desktop app requires Windows 10 or Windows 11. Windows 7 and Windows 8 cannot run it.

The same article says Linux is not supported on any distribution. It also says macOS Tahoe may have compatibility gaps, so start with that article if My Computer does not appear on Tahoe. Users on unsupported systems must access Manus through the standard cloud web interface.

Capabilities of the My Computer Workspace

The primary local execution engine inside the Manus desktop app is My Computer, which runs terminal instructions and interacts with local directories. Introduced in the Manus My Computer launch post on March 16, 2026, this capability is exclusive to the Manus desktop app and does not appear on the web interface. Manus executes Command Line Interface (CLI) instructions in your terminal, so it can read, analyze, and edit local files and launch local applications.

Security relies on approvals. Every terminal instruction generated by Manus requires your explicit authorization. You can choose Allow Once for single executions or Always Allow for recurring commands. Access is strictly scoped to the specific folders you explicitly authorize.

Local execution also lets Manus use your graphics processing unit (GPU) and take tasks you send from your phone. Manus can use that GPU to train a machine learning (ML) model or run a large language model (LLM) for inference. According to the Manus desktop documentation, you can assign tasks remotely from your phone as long as your computer is on and the desktop app remains active.

Installation and Configuration Steps

Setting up Manus Studio requires four basic actions outlined in the official Manus feature documentation. The docs say the Manus desktop app with My Computer is available for all users.

Manus can only access the folders you add and approve in the operating system prompt.

• Download and install the application package for macOS on Apple Silicon or Windows 10/11 from the official desktop download page
• Launch the installed software and sign in with your Manus account
• Click the My Computer tab located on the interface and select the Add Folder button
• Authorize directory access when prompted by the operating system security window

Manus Browser Operator and Web Automation

For web tasks, Manus provides the Browser Operator extension, which interacts with websites using your personal browser environment. Originally announced in the Manus Browser Operator launch on November 18, 2025, Browser Operator connects through the My Browser connector. It turns your local browser into an automated agent environment.

The extension operates inside your existing logins and active web sessions. As stated on the Manus Browser Operator page, Browser Operator does not need or see your passwords. You can revoke access at any point to stop running browser actions immediately. While the Manus integration docs state that Browser Operator is in beta rollout for Pro, Plus, and Team tiers, the public feature page and launch blog confirm it is available to all users.

The Browser Operator documentation recommends Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. Tasks can be monitored from mobile devices, but your desktop browser must stay online to execute actions. Drag-and-drop steps and multi-step forms may not work reliably yet, so check those steps yourself before a task submits anything. On May 12, 2026, Manus introduced Preferred Browser, which sets one authorized Chrome browser as the default for Browser Operator, though Manus says availability may vary by account.

Credit Consumption and Plan Allowances

Local execution in the Manus desktop app draws directly from your standard account credit balance. A help center article on credit consumption in the desktop app confirms that leaving the Manus desktop app open uses zero credits. Credits deduct only while an agent actively processes an assigned task.

Tasks that run on your local computer consume credits at the same rate as equivalent tasks run entirely in the cloud. Free accounts get 1,000 credits at registration and 300 refresh credits a day. The credit rules article caps a Free account's daily-credit use at 1,500 a month, and the membership pricing guide allows 1 concurrent task and 2 scheduled tasks.

Subscribing to a paid tier expands concurrency and overall capacity. According to the Manus pricing page, paid tiers cost $20, $40, or $200 monthly, with a 17% discount when billed annually at $17, $34, or $167 monthly. Paid plans support 20 concurrent tasks and 20 scheduled tasks. Every paid tier adds 300 refresh credits a day on top of its monthly credits: 4,000 at $20, 8,000 by default at $40, and 40,000 at $200.

Workload Selection Between Desktop and Cloud

Run a task locally when it needs your local files or a site you are logged into, and in the cloud when it should run unattended. The Manus desktop app fits tasks requiring access to local file systems, private repositories, or intranet tools. Work on local files belongs in My Computer, and work inside sites you are logged into belongs in Browser Operator.

Cloud runs do not depend on your computer staying awake or maintaining an active power connection. Local tasks need your computer on and the Manus desktop app running, per the Manus desktop documentation.

Manus 2.0 added Remote Control, which lets you control your computer by voice from your phone while your desktop streams live. As detailed in the Manus 2.0 release overview, Computer Use allows Manus to operate in a visible, separate workspace on your computer while you continue using your desktop. Manus also sells Cloud Computer, a dedicated environment for work such as a game server or a permanent home for an automation.

Security Controls and Data Governance

Before you give Manus terminal and folder access, decide which folders it needs. Manus restricts file operations to authorized directories. You should review proposed terminal scripts carefully before granting permissions, particularly when instructions touch system configuration.

A company update on the Manus user notice published on August 11, 2026, states that data is stored in the United States and Singapore. The Manus privacy policy names Butterfly Effect, a company incorporated in Singapore, as the data controller. Manus's own pages disagree on whether customer data trains its models. The Manus Slack integration page and the Manus versus Claude Code comparison state that Manus does not use customer data to train models.

In contrast, the Manus privacy policy, updated on September 28, 2026, states that aggregated, de-identified, or anonymized data may be used to develop models, with opt-out mechanisms available depending on user jurisdiction. The help center also lists Data Training Opt-Out as an explicit feature on the Team plan. Read the privacy policy before you connect sensitive folders.

The Manus desktop app is not for teams working exclusively on Linux distributions or Intel-based Mac hardware. Those teams can run Manus in the cloud from a browser, or compare Manus AI alternatives. Our recommendation would change if Manus ships a native Linux package or headless terminal daemon. To evaluate subscription costs, see our Manus AI pricing guide, or compare capabilities in our Manus AI review. Check your Mac's chip or Windows version against the supported-platform list, then download the app from the Manus desktop page.