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In one or two sentences, before anything else.
Muse is Meta's personal AI agent: it books, shops, sends email and fills in forms from its own cloud computer, asking before it pays or sends. Meta launched it in the US on September 8, 2026 and has since added Canada. Early reviews are mixed, and Amazon blocks it from buying on its store.
What it can do, one sentence each, and whether we actually tested it.
Meta says each user gets a dedicated cloud machine, Muse Secure VM, with its own browser, where Muse opens sites, fills in forms and keeps working after you close the app.
Meta's description.
Meta says a separate agent, Sentinel, approves every request that leaves the machine, and Muse asks you before sensitive actions such as sending an email or making a purchase.
Meta's own security write-up says prompt injection is still unsolved.
Muse pays through Link by Stripe, which creates a one-time card so your real card details stay hidden; Shop Pay and PayPal were added on September 23, 2026.
Per Meta and TechCrunch. Amazon has blocked Muse from buying on Amazon.com since September 20, 2026.
You choose which services Muse can use and how far, for example email read-only or read-and-send; partners include Best Buy, Gap, Sephora, Walmart, Wayfair, Expedia, GitHub and Notion.
Per Meta and TechCrunch; where no connector exists, Muse uses its browser.
Meta says Muse remembers details you mention once, such as friends' dietary restrictions, suggests things unprompted, and forgets specific items when you ask.
You talk to Muse in its own app on iPhone, iPad, Android and Mac, at muse.ai, or in a WhatsApp chat.
Mac from September 18 and iPad from October 7, 2026 (TechCrunch); AI glasses support is announced but not out.
Since September 29, 2026, Meta offers business connectors including Shopify, QuickBooks, Klaviyo, Canva, Slack, Zoom and Facebook and Instagram business accounts.
Meta says Muse is free for most needs, with paid plans for more.
The people it helps and the problems it solves, and where it ranks.
Built for
Problems it solves
Graded in
Public tests other people ran: what they gave it and how it did.
Case 1
Input
Find tickets for Verdi's Macbeth on the Met Opera's own site; later, find the cheapest Hamilton seats in the next 30 days.
What happened
Muse opened the Met's site in its own browser, found a 71 USD weekday seat including a 10 USD fee, logged in with stored credentials it could not see, and waited for his yes before paying. The Hamilton search took several minutes and found a 222 USD seat. The runs used about 11% of a week's free allowance, and his earlier tries were "all talk".
Case 2
Input
Call my dental insurer with my member ID; then track my card spending in Google Sheets.
What happened
Muse phoned the insurer, gave the member ID, answered a security question and waited on hold before handing him to a representative. It also flagged two duplicate subscriptions and canceled them. Tan called it the most useful AI app he had used, after handing over his cards, email and calendar; one reporter's experience, not a measured test.
Case 3
Input
Handle the messages for a listed MX Keys Mini keyboard, with "Allow Always" chosen when Muse asked to manage Marketplace messages.
What happened
Muse agreed a lowball price and sent the buyer his home address from a message template, and the buyer came to his building at night while Robb was away. Meta's David Singleton said Muse followed instructions and asked permission; Robb disputes it. The lesson is the setting: a standing "Always" grant lets Muse act without asking again.
What it does badly, with the evidence, and what we could not settle.
Weak
Who should not use it now: anyone outside the US and Canada, anyone under 18, people who shop mostly on Amazon, and anyone unwilling to give Meta their email, calendar and a payment card.
Evidence: Meta lists only the US and Canada; the AP reports an 18-and-over limit; TechCrunch reports a card is required even for the free tier; Amazon blocks Muse.
Acts further than you expect once you grant standing permission.
Evidence: Matt Robb chose "Allow Always" for Marketplace messages; Muse accepted a lowball offer and gave a buyer his home address (TNW, September 28, 2026; Dexerto, September 30, 2026).
Blocked from shopping on Amazon.
Evidence: Since September 20, 2026, Amazon shows Muse a notice that unauthorized AI agents break its Conditions of Use; Amazon says Muse does not identify itself and appears to keep customer credentials, while Meta says Muse never sees passwords or payment details (Global News; PPC Land).
Uneven on simple tasks and capped by usage limits.
Evidence: In PCWorld's first weeks Muse answered a commute question by pointing to the subway website and burned through usage limits; a few ticket searches later used about 11% of the weekly free allowance.
Meta can still reach your data, and prompt injection is unsolved.
Evidence: Meta's security write-up says the launch setup does not stop Meta accessing data to support, secure or run the service, and that prompt injection "remains an open problem"; an encrypted Confidential VM is promised for later in 2026.
Uncertain
Whether Meta's security design holds up.
Why unsure: Sentinel, the isolated machine and the credential vault are described only by Meta. TechCrunch noted on launch day that these claims still need checking by outside security experts, and we found no independent audit.
How much the free tier covers.
Why unsure: Meta publishes no number. The Neuron cites a Zuckerberg interview for up to 100 million tokens a week, which we could not confirm on a Meta page, and PCWorld notes Meta can tighten limits at any time.
Which model runs your tasks.
Why unsure: Muse launched on Muse Spark. Meta said on October 12, 2026 that Muse Wonder will power some Muse experiences, starting with subscribers, without a date or a list of plans.
How often Muse finishes a task correctly.
Why unsure: No independent benchmark of the agent exists yet. Artificial Analysis scores the Muse Spark 1.3 model 48 on its Intelligence Index, 24th of 217 models, but that measures the model, not errands done end to end.
The numbers, each with its source and the date we checked it.
| Spec | Value | Note and source |
|---|---|---|
| Maker and launch | Meta; launched in the US on September 8, 2026 | Source: about.fb.comchecked |
| Countries | US and Canada | Listed by Meta on September 29, 2026; AP reports it is for adults 18 and over. Source: about.fb.comchecked |
| Platforms | Web (muse.ai), iPhone, Android and WhatsApp at launch | Mac added September 18 and iPad October 7, 2026 (TechCrunch); AI glasses announced, not out. Source: about.fb.comchecked |
| Plans and prices | Free; Power 20 USD a month; Maximum 100 USD a month | Reported by TechCrunch; Meta's pricing page requires sign-in. A payment card is needed even for the free tier. Source: techcrunch.comchecked |
| Model | Muse Spark; Meta says Muse Wonder will power some Muse experiences, starting with subscribers | Source: about.fb.comchecked |
| Payments | Link by Stripe one-time cards, plus Shop Pay and PayPal from September 23, 2026 | Meta says every purchase needs your approval. Source: techcrunch.comchecked |
| Training on your chats | Chats with key personal details removed train new models unless you opt out in Muse settings | Source: research.meta.aichecked |
| Ads | Conversations and machine data are not shared with Meta's ad systems; browsing can still indirectly affect ads on other sites | Source: research.meta.aichecked |
| Amazon | Blocked from buying on Amazon.com since September 20, 2026 | Source: ppc.landchecked |
| Installs | More than 6.6 million by October 7, 2026 (Sensor Tower estimate) | Source: techcrunch.comchecked |
| Website visits, September 2026 (muse.ai) | 14.5 million (new this month); 4th of 15 on AICPB's AI agents list; 1st of 20 on AICPB's fastest-growing list | Source: mp.weixin.qq.comchecked |
Answer first, then why, an example, the limits and what to do next.
No, they are different products that used the same web address. The video-hosting service that had run at muse.ai since 2018 renamed itself Skiv on March 3, 2026 and moved to skiv.com; Meta now runs its Muse agent at muse.ai. Neither company has said how the domain changed hands.
Muse has a free tier, but you need a payment card to start. TechCrunch reported two paid plans for more usage, Power at 20 USD a month and Maximum at 100 USD a month. Meta says most people will stay on the free tier and has not published how much it allows.
Limits
In PCWorld's test, a few ticket searches used about 11% of a week's free allowance.
Only in the US and Canada for now, according to Meta. The Associated Press reported that Muse is limited to adults 18 and over, and Meta has given no date for other countries.
Meta says Muse data does not go to its ad systems but does train its models unless you opt out. Conversations and the data on your Muse machine stay out of ad systems, though your browsing can still affect ads elsewhere; chats with key personal details removed are used to train new models until you switch that off in settings.
Why
Until the promised Confidential VM ships, Meta says its setup does not stop Meta from accessing data when needed to run, secure or support the service.
Muse runs on Muse Spark, Meta's model for agent work. Meta said on October 12, 2026 that its newer Muse Wonder models will power some Muse experiences, starting with subscribers, without giving a date. Artificial Analysis scores Muse Spark 1.3 at 48 on its Intelligence Index, 24th of 217 models.
Muse is the one built around messaging and Meta's own apps, with a free tier, but no public test has run these agents side by side. ChatGPT agent has had its own virtual computer, browser and connectors since July 2025. Gemini's Tasks mode, from October 13, 2026, needs a Google AI Pro or Ultra plan and works in select countries. Manus answered Muse with Cue, a personal-agent app in Manus 2.0.
Next step
If you already pay for ChatGPT or Google AI Pro, try their agent first before handing a new company your accounts.
This page is built from Meta's own announcements and security write-up, reporting by TechCrunch, the Associated Press, Global News and others, and reporters' hands-on accounts since launch. Every source was checked on October 17, 2026.
According to AICPB's traffic rankings, muse.ai had 14.5 million visits in September 2026, its first month on the lists: 4th among AI agents and 1st on the fastest-growing list as a newcomer.
Muse is the newest fast riser among AI apps. Within two weeks of its September 8 launch it was the No. 1 free iPhone app in the US, ahead of ChatGPT (PPC Land, Global News). Cailian Press, citing Sensor Tower, counted more than 2.5 million downloads in its first 13 days, and TechCrunch reported on October 7 that Sensor Tower's estimate had passed 6.6 million installs.
| Date (2026) | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| March 3 | The video host at muse.ai renames itself Skiv | Skiv |
| April 8 | Meta introduces Muse Spark, the model family Muse runs on | Meta |
| September 8 | Muse launches in the US on the web, iPhone, Android and WhatsApp | Meta, AP, TechCrunch |
| September 18 | Mac app that works in Mail, Calendar, Notes and files | TechCrunch |
| September 20 | Amazon blocks Muse from buying on Amazon.com | Global News, PPC Land |
| September 23 | Shop Pay, PayPal and retail partners added at Meta Connect | TechCrunch |
| September 28 | A YouTuber says Muse gave a Marketplace buyer his home address | TNW, Dexerto |
| September 29 | Muse for Small Business; Meta lists the US and Canada | Meta |
| October 7 | iPad app | TechCrunch |
| October 12 | Muse Wonder models, to power some Muse features for subscribers | Meta, TechCrunch |
Every hands-on account so far is one person's experience, not a measured test.
Alex Heath, who used Muse before launch, called it "OpenClaw for normies" (The Neuron). No one has benchmarked how often the agent finishes errands correctly.
Meta describes a dedicated cloud machine for each user, a separate agent called Sentinel that must approve anything leaving it, and passwords Muse can use without seeing them. Meta says conversations and machine data stay out of its ad systems, though browsing can still affect ads elsewhere, and that chats with key personal details removed train new models unless you opt out. It also concedes that the launch setup does not stop Meta from reaching your data to run or secure the service, and that prompt injection "remains an open problem". A fully encrypted Confidential VM is promised for later in 2026.
Critics focus on how much Muse sees. Ebrahim Bagheri of the University of Toronto told Global News that an agent reading your email also reads other people's information, and revoking access does not undo what it has seen. TechCrunch weighed the launch against Meta's record, including a 5 billion USD FTC penalty in 2019.
No public test has run these agents side by side on the same errands.
| Agent | Maker | What stands out |
|---|---|---|
| Muse | Meta | Free tier; works through its own app, the web, Mac and WhatsApp; Power 20 USD and Maximum 100 USD a month (TechCrunch) |
| ChatGPT agent | OpenAI | Own virtual computer with browser, terminal and connectors since July 2025; can repeat tasks on a schedule (The Rundown) |
| Gemini Tasks mode | Keeps working after you leave, 40+ connected apps; Google AI Pro (19.99 USD a month) or Ultra, select countries (SiliconANGLE) | |
| Manus 2.0 and Cue | Manus | Cue gives each agent its own email, phone number, wallet and computer (Computerworld) |
Manus has history with Meta: Meta announced a deal to buy it in December 2025, China's NDRC blocked the deal on April 27, 2026 (TechCrunch), and Manus, independent again since August, launched Cue in late September as its answer to Muse.
muse.ai was a video-hosting service from 2018 until it renamed itself Skiv on March 3, 2026 and moved to skiv.com, keeping its accounts and videos. Meta now runs its agent at muse.ai; neither company has said how the address changed hands.
Sources
Changelog
Runable is a general AI agent that builds websites, apps, slides, documents, images and videos and now also runs ads and outreach, made by a 15-person startup in Bengaluru founded in 2025 by Umesh Kumar and Saksham Sarda. It turned on paid plans in March 2026 and raised a 21 million USD Series A on August 26, 2026.
Polsia is an AI service from Polsia, Inc. that says its agents plan, code and market a company with no human staff. Founder Ben Broca launched it in December 2025 and reports 10,000 paying customers; critics doubt his revenue figures, and his own numbers show nine in ten companies on it have yet to earn a dollar.
Browser Use is an MIT-licensed Python library and a paid cloud service that let AI agents operate real web browsers, made by a Y Combinator startup founded by Magnus Müller and Gregor Žunič. Its GitHub repository had about 118,300 stars on October 17, 2026, up from about 50,000 at its 17 million USD seed round in March 2025.
WorkBuddy is Tencent's AI agent for office work, built by the Tencent Cloud CodeBuddy team and launched in China on March 9, 2026. In seven months it added a global edition and phone apps, and Tencent announced a Guangdong government version. It plans tasks, works on your local files and hands back documents, spreadsheets and slides.
Raccoon Work (商汤小浣熊) is SenseTime's AI assistant for office work: data analysis, documents and slides on web, desktop and phone. SenseTime merged its office and coding assistants into it on August 25, 2026, and its first-half results report cloud monthly users up nearly tenfold. No independent test of the new version is public yet.
Manus is a general AI agent that researches and builds slides, websites, videos and games, made by a company founded in China in 2022 and based in Singapore. China blocked Meta's purchase of Manus on April 27, 2026; Manus resumed independent operations on September 1 and launched Manus 2.0 on September 28, 2026.