The Perplexity app for macOS lets you trigger a keyboard shortcut to instantly bring up the prompt field for a search.And now, it’s getting even more useful thanks to the addition of MCP support.Here’s what that means, and why you should look into it.
What’s MCP again? MCP, or Model Context Protocol, was proposed by Anthropic and is quickly becoming the industry’s standard interface between AI systems and traditional platforms., it wants to be the AI equivalent of what HTTP is to the web, or SMTP is to email.Since its announcement, MCP has been widely adopted by companies and platforms like Zapier, Google, and Salesforce, and the result is a universal pathway for AI assistants to plug into APIs and data sources.
So Perplexity now supports MCP? Yes, Perplexity’s Mac app now supports MCP, which means you’ll be able to plug into and use many everyday apps through the Perplexity interface.For instance, you’ll be able to use Perplexity to search and edit your Apple Notes, create reminders, send emails, pull data from Google Drive files, etc.But there’s a catch: since Mac App Store apps are sandboxed, you’ll need to install the Perplexity Helper App to make it work.
Here’s the step-by-step, as provided by the company: Perplexity also published a couple of videos that show how you can add connectors, and then use the MCP integration: In its help page, the company has a section dedicated to a few integrations that you can start with.But beware: as the company also notes, users should be careful when relying on open-source projects for their integrations.While many projects are safe and useful, there is far from an universal rule.
So make sure you know what you’re doing, and, when in doubt, read through and participate in community discussions before opening up access to your data.Do you use MCP servers? Do you have a favorite integration? Let us know in the comments.External drive deals on Amazon Seagate Portable 2TB HDD, USB 3.0: $79.99 SanDisk 2TB Extreme Portable SSD, USB-C: $129.95 (was $209.99) Samsung T7 1TB Portable SSD, USB 3.2 Gen 2: $89.99 (was $129.99) WD 5TB Elements Portable External HDD, USB 3.2 Gen 1: $117.49 (was $139.99) You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day.
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