Install the Perplexity desktop app on Windows or Mac, sign in, and turn on the permissions and local file access you want to use.

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Before you start

  • Windows 10 version 1809 or later, or macOS 15 or later.
  • A Perplexity account you can sign in to.
  • If an organization manages your account, an administrator must allow desktop tools before Perplexity can work with files on your computer.

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Install and update on Windows

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Install from the Microsoft Store

  1. On a Windows device, open the Perplexity listing in the Microsoft Store: ms-windows-store://pdp/?productid=9P9XG917PWCJ.
  2. Select Install.
  3. Open Perplexity and sign in.

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Install from the Perplexity website

  1. Open the Perplexity download page.
  2. Download and run the Windows installer.
  3. Open Perplexity and sign in.
The website installer uses the Microsoft Store installation and update system in the background. You do not need to open the Store separately during installation.

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Check for updates

The Microsoft Store delivers updates for the Perplexity app. When an update has downloaded and is waiting for the app to close, Perplexity shows Restart to update in the sidebar. Select it to apply the update and reopen the app. To check whether an update is available, open Settings → About, then select Open Microsoft Store.
Your Microsoft Store settings, or a policy set by your organization, can affect when updates arrive.

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Install and update on Mac

  1. Download the Perplexity app for Mac from the Perplexity download page.
  2. Open the downloaded disk image (DMG).
  3. Move Perplexity to Applications.
  4. Open Perplexity and sign in.

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Complete Mac setup

Finish setup so Perplexity can work with your local files, your installed apps, and your browser.
  1. Approve the macOS permissions the app asks for. To see them, open Perplexity → Settings… → Permissions from the menu bar at the top left of the screen, or select Settings… from the Perplexity icon on the right side of the menu bar.
  2. Connect the folders and apps you want Perplexity to use.
  3. Install Comet for browser tasks. Perplexity hands web work to Comet, which can navigate sites you are signed in to, fill in forms, and gather information.
  4. Pair your phone if you want to start tasks while away from your Mac, approve sensitive actions, or answer two-factor prompts.
Table 1 — macOS permissions the Perplexity app requests.
Working with your installed apps can prompt for more access, such as Automation for Notes or Mail, or access to your Desktop, Documents, and Downloads folders.
To pair a device, sign in to Perplexity on it with the same account. It then appears under Perplexity → Settings… → Devices. See also the Personal Computer setup guide.

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Check for updates

The Mac app checks for updates automatically and installs them in the background. To check manually, open Perplexity → Check for Updates… in the menu bar at the top left of the screen.
Automatic updates work only when the app is in Applications. If you are running Perplexity from the mounted disk image or your Downloads folder, move it to Applications first.

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Enable local file access

The app may ask for local file access during onboarding or in a thread when your request needs files on the computer. You can also set it up yourself in Settings, under Permissions, on either platform. On Windows, first-run setup can offer Enable local access, which does the same thing in one step.
The Permissions section needs a current app version — on Windows, 26.8.1 or later. If you do not see it, update the app first: on Windows, open Settings → About and select Open Microsoft Store; on Mac, use Perplexity → Check for Updates… in the menu bar.
On Windows:
  1. Open Settings → Permissions and find the Local file system access row.
  2. Select Enable.
  3. Confirm the Windows permission prompt if one appears.
  4. Turn on Desktop tools, the switch below that row.
Desktop tools stays unavailable until Local file system access is set up. It lets the app read and write local files and run shell commands on this device.
On Mac, open Perplexity → Settings… → Permissions and approve the permissions the app requests. Mac has no Local file system access row and no Desktop tools switch; file access comes from Full Disk Access, the folder prompts you approve, and the Filesystem connector. Choose the folders themselves per task rather than in Settings: in Perplexity Computer, open Folders and select Choose folder. You can add different folders for different tasks and remove folders you no longer want the app to use. For examples, see Work with Local Files and Folders. The Windows Permissions pane also carries Remote access, which allows desktop sessions from the Perplexity web and mobile apps. See Use Remote Access. An organization can turn desktop tools off for its members. On Windows, the Local file system access row then shows Blocked by your organization. On Mac, no control appears in Settings, and a request that needs local files or commands is refused instead. In both cases, ask an administrator in your organization to allow desktop tools.

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Run tasks on your own hardware

On an NVIDIA DGX Spark, or a Windows or Linux PC with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX or RTX PRO GPU with 24 GB of VRAM or more, you can run tasks on the device instead of in the cloud. No separate installation is needed: open Menu → Settings → Local Inference and download a model under On-device models. For requirements and full setup steps, see What is Portable Computer?.

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How to verify it worked

On Windows, the Local file system access row shows Enabled and the Desktop tools switch is on. On Mac, each permission you approved shows as granted in Perplexity → Settings… → Permissions. A paired phone or computer appears under Settings → Devices.

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If installation does not complete

If you already have an older Perplexity app installed, it does not upgrade automatically. See Upgrade from the Old App.

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Windows

  1. Confirm you are using the current Microsoft Store link.
  2. If one entry point does not work, try the other — the Store listing or the Perplexity website.

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Mac

  1. Open the app from the disk image and select Move to Applications when prompted.
  2. If a copy already exists, select Replace to move the old one to Trash.
  3. If the move does not work, delete the existing copy.
  4. Download a fresh disk image, then move the app to Applications before opening it.

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Local file access problems on Windows

Table 2 — Local file access symptoms on Windows, with the most likely cause and fix.

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Still not working?

Contact us via Help > Contact Support. Include the exact message shown in the Local file system access row or the installer, the time it happened, the email address you sign in with, and the steps from this article that did not resolve it.

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Need more help?

Contact us via Help > Contact Support.