Manus has launched Manus 2.0 and a new standalone personal-agent app called Cue. Each Cue agent gets its own email address, phone number, wallet and computer. That means an agent can make calls, send messages and spend money for you. This guide covers what the new tools can do, how to get access, and how to set limits before you hand an AI agent a budget.
The September 28 launch follows Manus's return to independent operation after Beijing blocked Meta's planned $2 billion acquisition. It puts the Singapore-based company in direct competition with Meta's Muse and the fast-growing startup Instinct.
What Is New in Manus 2.0
Manus 2.0 runs on Cascade, a new in-house agent harness. In one test configuration, Manus says Cascade used 23.2% fewer tokens, took 28.2% less time and cost 32% less than its previous system. The company has not described that test, so treat the numbers as indicative. The release bundles several tools:
- Automations turn scheduled tasks into triggered workflows that can start from an email, a calendar event, a Slack message or a Notion update.
- Computer Use lets an agent work with approved files, browsers and apps in a visible desktop session.
- Cloud Computer keeps automated jobs running after your own device shuts down. It is sold separately, and Manus has not published pricing.
- Manus Studio replaces the old desktop app. It adds a timeline-based Video Editor mode and a Game Dev mode that can host multiplayer games on a Cloud Computer.
- Remote Control lets you send a voice command from your phone and watch your desktop live while Manus works.
What Cue Agents Can Do
Cue is the consumer side of the launch. Each user can run several agents, and agents can be grouped in a shared chat to split up a larger goal. Typical uses include:
- Making and taking calls, with a written summary afterward
- Sending messages from the agent's own email address or number
- Making payments within a budget you set
- Scanning QR codes to order at restaurants, or holding your place in a line
How to Get Access
Cue is in early access on web, desktop and mobile. The iOS app is still awaiting App Store approval. Early access is free with an invite code, but Cloud Computer is billed separately. Manus has not said what Cue will cost after early access ends.
Setting It Up Safely: A Step-by-Step Checklist
An agent with a wallet and a phone number can do real damage if it misreads an instruction or is manipulated. Before you delegate anything important, follow these steps.
1. Start with the smallest possible budget
Give each agent a low spending cap at first and raise it only after watching several successful transactions. If you can, use a dedicated prepaid or virtual card rather than your main account.
2. Give each agent one job
Separate agents for separate roles, such as one for restaurant bookings and one for research, make it much easier to audit mistakes. They also limit the damage if one agent is compromised.
3. Be careful with email triggers
On September 24, security firm Salt Labs disclosed an email-based prompt-injection flaw that allowed code execution inside Manus environments and credential theft. It has since been patched. The lesson still applies: any automation triggered by incoming email can be fed hostile instructions. Limit which senders can trigger workflows, and keep payment-capable agents away from untrusted inboxes.
4. Review summaries and logs daily
Read call summaries and transaction histories, especially in the first few weeks. Look for anything you did not ask for.
5. Keep sensitive credentials out
Do not give agents your primary banking logins, government ID numbers or work credentials. Keep Computer Use limited to the specific files and apps a task needs.
Why It Matters
Cue shows where consumer AI is heading. Agents are moving from chat windows into the real world and taking on identities: a phone number, an inbox and a payment method. That makes them far more useful. It also means every weakness in AI reasoning now has a financial or reputational cost. As one industry newsletter joked, the plan seems to be to give the agent a wallet first and invent the circuit breaker later.
Until that circuit breaker exists, you are the circuit breaker. Tight budgets, narrow roles and regular log reviews are the simplest ways to get the benefits of Manus 2.0 and Cue without taking on risks you did not sign up for.
