Muse for Mac: setup, permissions and what it can do
Muse for Mac lets the agent work with files and apps on your computer, not just in its own cloud computer. That’s powerful and worth setting up carefully. Here’s what Meta says it asks for, the controls you get, and what’s happened so far.
Quick answer
Download Muse for Mac from Meta’s download page (ai.meta.com/muse/download). During setup it asks for three macOS permissions: Full Disk Access, Automation and Notifications. Then you choose, app by app, whether Muse is Off, Read only, or Read and interact for iMessage, Notes, Reminders, Email and Calendar. With computer use, Meta says Muse can “drive any app on your Mac” with your permission. There’s no Windows app; Windows users can use muse.ai in a browser.
About this page
Not testedWe don’t have a Mac set up for testing, so we haven’t installed Muse for Mac. This page is based on Meta’s Mac help article, download page and announcements, checked October 3, 2026. We did check which apps Muse offers from a Windows PC. See how we label evidence.
Download and requirements
- Meta’s download page offers “Download for macOS” (a .dmg file), described as “Muse for Mac OS, right on your desktop computer,” that “organizes files, fills out forms, and pulls from Messages, Calendar and Notes, all with your permission.”1
- ReportedTechCrunch reported the Mac app’s launch on September 18, 2026.4
- System requirements: we didn’t find a minimum macOS version or chip requirement in Meta’s help or download pages.
- Only download from Meta. Use ai.meta.com/muse/download, not third-party sites.
What about Windows?
TestedThere’s no Muse app for Windows. On a Windows PC, the muse.ai web app’s “Download apps” option showed only iOS and Android, and Meta’s download page lists Mac, iPhone and Android.1 Use Muse in your browser at muse.ai instead; it has the same chat, settings and connectors. muse.ai also publishes a web app manifest, so Chrome or Edge may offer to install it as its own window. Using Muse on a PC.
The macOS permissions
| Permission | What it lets Muse do |
|---|---|
| Full Disk Access | Find, read or update files |
| Automation | Take actions in apps stored on your Mac, like sending messages |
| Notifications | Tell you when tasks are done |
These are controlled by macOS. To remove them later, open System Settings → Privacy & Security and turn off Muse under Full Disk Access, Automation or Notifications.2
Per-app access: Off, Read only, Read and interact
During setup you choose a level for each app Muse can use: iMessage, Notes, Reminders, Email and Calendar.2
- Off
- Muse can’t access that app’s data.
- Read only
- Muse can see the information but can’t act.
- Read and interact
- Muse can read and take actions, such as sending a message.
You can change these later in Muse’s Settings under File System Access.2 Our suggestion: start with Off for Messages and Read only elsewhere, and turn on “Read and interact” only for the apps you actually want Muse to act in.
Computer use
At Connect 2026, Meta said: “Computer use is now available with Muse for Mac. With your permission, Muse can now drive any app on your Mac.”3 Meta says the agent “asks you to confirm first” before critical actions like sending emails or making purchases, and that files it deletes go to the Trash so you can recover them.2
Privacy and what’s gone wrong
- Screenshots may be used for training. Meta says your Muse interactions on Mac, “including screenshots,” may be used to improve its AI unless you turn that off in Data controls.2 How to turn it off.
- ReportedA Messages dispute. An Inc. columnist said the Mac app drew on their Messages history after they declined access; Meta suggested a setting had been on, which the columnist disputes.5
- ReportedA security fix. Meta hot-fixed a Mac app flaw that could let someone with access to the computer redirect Muse’s traffic (September 22).6
Both are good reasons to keep per-app access tight. More in Is Muse safe?
Sources
- Download Muse: Mac and mobile Meta · checked Oct 3, 2026
- How Muse works with files and apps in your Mac Meta Help Center · checked Oct 3, 2026
- Everything we announced at Meta Connect 2026 Meta · Sept 2026
- Meta’s Muse hits Mac TechCrunch · Sept 18, 2026
- Meta’s new Muse AI agent read my private messages Inc. · Sept 19, 2026
- Meta hot-fixes Muse zero-day Unite.AI · Sept 22, 2026
Last checked: 2026-10-03. Using Muse on a Mac and seeing something different? Tell us.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I download Muse for Mac?
From Meta’s download page at ai.meta.com/muse/download, which offers “Download for macOS” alongside the iPhone and Android apps.1
Is there a Muse app for Windows?
Not as of October 3, 2026. Meta’s download page lists Mac, iPhone and Android only, and the Muse web app offered us only iOS and Android when viewed from Windows. On a Windows PC, use Muse in a browser at muse.ai.1
What permissions does Muse need on a Mac?
Meta lists three macOS permissions: Full Disk Access (to find, read or update files), Automation (to act in apps, like sending messages) and Notifications. You then set each app (iMessage, Notes, Reminders, Email, Calendar) to Off, Read only, or Read and interact.2