Meta AI is getting a Mac app

Meta launched a dedicated Mac app for its AI chatbot on Wednesday, August 19, per The Verge. The app lets users share a window with Meta AI, which can then provide suggestions, answer questions, or generate content based on what it sees on screen. It also supports dictation across all apps on the system.

The release is part of a broader push by Meta to position its AI chatbot as a productivity-focused assistant, according to The Verge. The Mac app gives Meta AI a persistent desktop presence beyond its existing mobile and web interfaces.

The move puts Meta in line with competitors that already have Mac desktop apps. The Verge notes that Google's Gemini app supports window sharing, while OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude go further by allowing their chatbots to take direct control of a computer. Meta's app, as described, currently stops at screen observation and content generation rather than active computer control.

The screen-awareness feature — where Meta AI can read and respond to what is visible on screen — is the headline capability of the new app, positioning it as a contextual assistant rather than a standalone chat interface. System-wide dictation support adds a hands-free input option that extends beyond the app itself to the rest of the Mac environment.