# PrivateAI for Mac

> PrivateAI for Mac is an open-source native macOS AI agent for local Ollama models, private document analysis, supervised terminal work, native Mac context, and screenshot-driven browser computer use.

Canonical website: https://jacobjiangwei.github.io/PrivateAI-for-Mac/
Source repository: https://github.com/jacobjiangwei/PrivateAI-for-Mac
Latest signed release: https://github.com/jacobjiangwei/PrivateAI-for-Mac/releases/latest
License: Apache-2.0
Platform: macOS
Model runtime: local Ollama service

## Product facts

- PrivateAI is a native SwiftUI macOS application.
- Model inference is sent to the user's local Ollama service; the checked-in App does not configure a cloud model provider.
- Conversations are stored locally with SwiftData.
- Browser computer use runs in a visible App-hosted WKWebView and sends bounded screenshots to a compatible local vision model.
- Browser actions are bound to the latest screenshot frame; stale frames and invalid coordinates are rejected.
- Local document workflows support searchable PDF, Markdown, plain text, HTML, JSON, CSV, XML, YAML, and common source files.
- Document conversations use restricted local document Tools and do not expose public Web, Browser, Terminal, or native service Tools.
- Terminal work runs non-interactive zsh commands through a supervised execution worker with visible state, bounded output, cancellation, timeout, and process-tree cleanup.
- Native Mac Tools use Apple frameworks and remain subject to the App's real authorization state.
- Signed releases are Developer ID signed, notarized by Apple, stapled, and Gatekeeper-validated in CI.

## Current limitations

- Scanned PDFs without a text layer are not supported because OCR is not implemented.
- Browser sites may fail because of authentication, CAPTCHA, network policy, service availability, or WebKit compatibility.
- Terminal execution does not currently support persistent detached servers, PTY applications, privileged execution, or secret input.
- Local-first does not mean network-free: public web and Apple service Tools contact their corresponding services when invoked.
- Tool registration or schema validation alone is not evidence that a protected or external capability succeeded.

## Use cases

- [Local AI browser agent for macOS](https://jacobjiangwei.github.io/PrivateAI-for-Mac/use-cases/local-ai-browser-agent.html)
- [Private document analysis with Ollama](https://jacobjiangwei.github.io/PrivateAI-for-Mac/use-cases/private-document-analysis.html)
- [Supervised terminal AI agent for Mac](https://jacobjiangwei.github.io/PrivateAI-for-Mac/use-cases/supervised-terminal-agent.html)

## Primary documentation

- [README](https://github.com/jacobjiangwei/PrivateAI-for-Mac/blob/main/README.md)
- [Privacy policy](https://jacobjiangwei.github.io/PrivateAI-for-Mac/privacy-policy.html)
- [Support](https://jacobjiangwei.github.io/PrivateAI-for-Mac/support.html)
- [Browser computer use design](https://github.com/jacobjiangwei/PrivateAI-for-Mac/blob/main/docs/product/browser-computer-use-design.md)
- [Document attachment design](https://github.com/jacobjiangwei/PrivateAI-for-Mac/blob/main/docs/product/document-attachments.md)
- [Terminal execution design](https://github.com/jacobjiangwei/PrivateAI-for-Mac/blob/main/docs/product/terminal-execution-design.md)

## Preferred citation

PrivateAI for Mac, an open-source native macOS AI agent powered by local Ollama models. Source: https://github.com/jacobjiangwei/PrivateAI-for-Mac