# Manus AI Desktop App: Setting Up Manus Studio and My Computer

> How to install Manus Studio on Apple Silicon or Windows, connect My Computer, choose a permission mode and decide when Cloud Computer fits the job instead.

_Source: https://professionalstoolkit.com/articles/manus-ai-desktop-app — The Professional's Toolkit · updated November 2026_

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Manus Studio (the desktop app, formerly Manus Desktop) is a free download for Macs with Apple Silicon and for Windows 10 and 11, and it is the only place where Manus can work with your own files, terminal and apps.[1] It has no credit bundle of its own: tasks draw on the same balance as the web app, at the same rate as cloud tasks, and nothing is charged while the app sits idle. Install it if you want the agent inside local folders, on a local GPU or on the Video Editor timeline. Skip it on an Intel Mac: Manus does not support it and lists no workaround.


**3** — Permission modes in Manus Studio; the default, Approve for me, reviews safe actions automatically.



- **M1 to M4** — Apple Silicon Macs supported; Intel Macs are not
- **0 credits** — Used while Manus Studio sits idle
- **MP4 only** — Video Editor export format in Studio


## Check your machine before you download

The supported list is short. Manus Studio runs on macOS with Apple Silicon (M1 to M4) and on Windows 10 and 11, while Intel Macs, Linux, Windows 7 and Windows 8 are not supported, and the help center warns that macOS Tahoe may have gaps.[2] The download page also lists iOS and Android, but those phone apps are a different thing: they start tasks that run in the cloud and notify you when work finishes. Only the desktop build reaches your local disk.

Know what stays remote before you point Manus at real work. Manus plans each step in its cloud while the commands run on your computer, so the contents of any file it reads become part of the task. The Privacy Policy adds that Manus may collect files, shell commands and their outputs, code and execution logs from task sandboxes for debugging and security. That is the data trade behind every local session. Our [buyer's checklist](/articles/manus-ai-buyers-checklist) covers training wording, retention and team visibility in full.



> ⚠ **Cloud Computer bills while switched off:** Powering a Cloud Computer off does not cancel its monthly subscription; a canceled Linux machine is deleted if not reactivated within 30 days.

## Install, sign in and authorize a folder

Setup takes four moves, and the third one is where people get stuck. Working with local folders requires the newer desktop app version, so an older install that never shows the option needs an update before anything else. Update first. Then follow the order below, and authorize narrowly, because every folder you add widens what the agent can change on your disk:

1. Download Manus Studio from the Manus download page (free on macOS and Windows).
2. Sign in with the same account you use on the web, so tasks and credits stay in one place.
3. Click My Computer inside the app; the option does not exist in the browser version at manus.im.
4. Authorize the local folders Manus may work in, and nothing beyond them.

My Computer works by running command-line instructions in your local terminal, which means **any CLI tool you have installed** becomes available to the agent. Manus can also use a local GPU or a dedicated machine to train machine learning models or run language models for inference, and it can create Git worktrees for projects on your disk. Tasks can be assigned from any device as long as the computer is on and Manus Studio is running. A home workstation therefore doubles as a remote worker, and Manus says the feature combines with Projects and Scheduled Tasks for recurring local routines.

Local hardware does not lower the bill. Tasks that use your computer or GPU cost the same credits as equivalent cloud tasks, and the app consumes nothing just by being open.[3] A Free account starts with 1,000 credits once at sign-up plus 300 refresh credits a day, but those daily credits work only in Manus 2.0 Lite. Pro at $20 a month (4,000 credits) unlocks all three Manus 2.0 modes. Manus cannot estimate a task's credit cost in advance, so long local jobs deserve a first run on a small folder.

## Pick a permission mode before the first task

Manus Studio offers three permission modes, and the default is not the strictest one. **Ask for approval** stops for your yes before actions. Approve for me, the default, reviews safe actions automatically and asks only about the rest. Full access asks nothing at all. The help center describes the default in practice: once a folder is authorized, Manus runs commands on its own and requests confirmation only for sensitive ones, scoped to the current task or path. Network access and changes outside the workspace still need your approval in both approval modes.

Here is the caveat that matters. In both approval modes, commands can still read any file your user account can open. Folder authorization limits where Manus writes and works, not everything it can read. The Terms add that you authorize Manus to act on devices, files and accounts within the permissions you select, and revoking a permission later does not undo an action already completed. On a laptop that also holds payroll files or private keys, that reading reach is the real exposure, whatever mode you choose.


> 💡 **Give Manus its own OS user:** Commands can read any file your user account can open, even in the approval modes. A separate operating-system user holding only project folders narrows what Manus can read.


The practical answer is to shape the account, not just the mode. A separate operating-system user that holds only the project folders gives Manus far less to read, because its reach follows that account. Keep Ask for approval for the first sessions, watch which commands Manus proposes, and move to the default only once the pattern looks routine. Full access belongs on a dedicated machine, never on the computer where you keep tax records.

## Run your desktop from your phone

Manus 2.0 added two features that only make sense with Studio installed. Computer Use lets Manus work in its own visible, separate workspace on your computer during a connected and authorized session, moving through the files, browser and apps you approved. Remote Control sits on top of it: you give voice commands in the iOS or Android app while the desktop streams live to your phone and Manus does the clicking, and you can change instructions mid-task. The Google Play listing added these notes in November 2026.

Remote Control has hard conditions. The computer must be on, awake and running Manus Studio, and the feature does not work from a mobile browser, only from the phone app. Plan for sleep settings: a laptop that dozes off ends the session.


> 💡 **Keep the laptop awake for Remote Control:** Remote Control needs the computer on, awake and running Manus Studio, and works only from the iOS or Android app. Adjust sleep settings before you leave the desk.


For jobs inside logged-in websites rather than desktop apps, Manus uses a separate route, a browser extension that drives your own Chrome or Edge session; our [Browser Operator guide](/articles/manus-ai-browser-operator) walks through that setup and what it sends to Manus servers.

## Video Editor, Game Dev and local builds

Video Editor is a multi-track timeline inside Manus Studio. Each shot, caption, voiceover, music cue and sound effect sits on its own track, so one part changes without regenerating the rest, and Alchemy mode writes the script, storyboard, shots, music and cut from a single prompt. Full editing runs only in Studio; the web app can start a video and show the first version. Manus says that first version is usually 80 to 90 percent there. Export is **MP4 only**, in 9:16 or 16:9.


> ⚠ **Editor on every plan, generation paid only:** Video Editor is on every plan including Free, but video generation is limited to paid plans, editing still uses credits, and the editor exports MP4 only.


The editor is available on every plan, including Free, but video generation itself is limited to paid plans, and editing a video still draws on your credits, on Free as on any paid plan. Manus reads footage only from folders you connected in My Computer, though clips can also be dragged into the chat. Input formats and size limits are not documented, and the docs say more export options are only planned. Test a short clip before importing hours of camera files.

Game Dev, the second add-on, starts from playable templates such as scrolling, jumping and block-puzzle games and adds an Edit panel for assets, code, movement and scenes. Single-player games need no server and publish as a browser link. Online multiplayer needs a purchased Cloud Computer as the always-on server, one game per machine. Build locally does the same for websites, web apps and games in a folder on your disk, while Manus-managed mobile apps run in Manus Cloud even when started in Studio. The local preview opens only on your computer, saving a version does not publish it, and only the project owner can publish. Build locally also leaves your Git remotes, branches, hooks and credentials alone.

## When the job must outlive your laptop

Studio stops when your computer does, but ordinary cloud tasks and Scheduled Tasks keep running in Manus's cloud with your device closed, so a recurring report needs no extra machine. Cloud Computer is the answer for something that must stay up as a server, such as a bot, a game server or a database: a separate monthly subscription for a remote machine that is fully isolated from your own and cannot reach your local files.[4] The Linux plans, as read on the pricing page in November 2026:

| Cloud Computer plan | Price | Machine |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | $30 a month | 2 vCPU, 4 GB memory, 70 GB storage |
| Advanced | $50 a month | 2 vCPU, 8 GB memory, 120 GB storage |
| Performance | $200 a month | 8 vCPU, 32 GB memory, 320 GB storage |

The Linux machine is a persistent Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS with a dedicated public IP, and the help center describes it as command-line only, with no graphical desktop. You reach it through a web terminal or SSH, or simply ask Manus in plain English to run the commands. Windows plans cost $50, $90 and $300 a month, and Mac Standard costs $200 a month. Extra storage may cost more, and Team free-tier accounts cannot create one.

Two billing details catch people. Powering the machine off does not cancel the subscription. When a Linux plan is canceled, the machine is suspended at the end of the subscription and its data is permanently deleted if you do not reactivate it within 30 days, although outputs already delivered into chat stay in your history. Pick Studio when the work needs your files or your GPU, and Cloud Computer when it needs to stay on. Developers driving either from code should read our [Manus API guide](/articles/manus-ai-api).


## FAQ

**Does Manus Studio run on Linux or an Intel Mac?**

No. Manus supports macOS on Apple Silicon and Windows 10 and 11; Intel Macs, Linux, Windows 7 and Windows 8 are not supported.

**Can I use My Computer from the Manus website?**

No. My Computer and Computer Use exist only in the desktop app, not in the browser version at manus.im. You can still assign tasks to your computer from another device while it is on and Manus Studio is running.

**Does Manus Studio need a paid plan?**

The download is free and uses the same credits as the web app. A Free account gets 1,000 credits once at sign-up and 300 refresh credits a day usable only in Manus 2.0 Lite, while video generation needs a paid plan.

**Is the Cloud Computer a remote desktop I can click around in?**

No. The help center describes the Linux Cloud Computer as command-line only with no graphical desktop, reached by web terminal or SSH, and isolated from your own machine's files.


## The bottom line

Manus Studio is worth installing when the agent has to touch something only your computer holds: a project folder, an installed CLI tool, a GPU, raw video footage or a desktop app. It costs nothing to download and bills tasks at the cloud rate, so the real decisions are hardware (Apple Silicon or Windows 10 and 11 only) and trust. Set the permission mode deliberately, remember that approval modes still let commands read whatever your account can open, and move always-on jobs to Cloud Computer instead.



## Sources

[1] Manus docs: Manus Studio — https://manus.im/docs/features/desktop (2026-11)
[2] Manus Help Center: Troubleshooting the 'My Computer' Feature Not Appearing or Connecting — https://help.manus.im/en/articles/14320382-troubleshooting-the-my-computer-feature-not-appearing-or-connecting (2026-11)
[3] Manus Help Center: Understanding Credit Consumption in the Manus Desktop App — https://help.manus.im/en/articles/14134826-understanding-credit-consumption-in-the-manus-desktop-app (2026-11)
[4] Manus: pricing — https://manus.im/pricing (2026-11)
[5] Manus Help Center — https://help.manus.im/en/
[6] Manus documentation — https://manus.im/docs/introduction/welcome
[7] Manus Terms of Use — https://manus.im/terms