Manus has released version 2.0, repositioning its AI agent as a platform where users edit videos, host multiplayer games and run personal agents with their own phone numbers. In one tested configuration, the new Cascade agent harness used 23.2 percent fewer tokens and cost 32 percent less to run than the previous system. The move matters for business because it shifts agents from single chat tasks toward persistent workers tied to email, files and phones.
Studio, Cue and remote control in Manus 2.0
The desktop app is now called Manus Studio and adds two manual-editing environments, Video Editor and Game Dev. Users can adjust agent output by hand instead of accepting a generated result as final. Dedicated cloud computers keep game servers running, which allows multiplayer projects to stay online without a local machine. Manus 2.0 is available now, positioning Studio as the main workspace for longer production work.
A separate app called Cue gives each agent its own email address, wallet and computer. Agents therefore operate with separate identities and resources rather than sharing the user account. Each agent can also receive its own phone number, and users can direct work remotely from their phone. Cue is in free early access with an invite code, which lowers the entry threshold for testing persistent agents.
Two automation mechanisms expand how work starts and where it runs. Automations can now fire on events such as incoming emails or Slack messages, so agents react to business signals instead of waiting for a prompt. With Computer Use, Manus works with approved files and apps on the user own machine. That same local session can be directed remotely from a phone, combining local access with mobile supervision.
What persistent agents mean for companies
For companies that already use AI assistants, the practical change is continuity of execution. An agent with its own email address, computer and phone number can monitor an inbox, respond to a Slack message and keep a game server or editing project alive. Small teams gain a way to cover routine coordination without adding staff, while larger firms can assign narrowly scoped agents to support functions such as operations, content preparation or testing.
The limits center on control, cost measurement and access rights. Computer Use operates only with approved files and apps on the user machine, so IT policies and permissions will define what agents may actually touch. The reported 23.2 percent token reduction and 32 percent cost reduction apply to one tested configuration of Cascade, not to every workload. Buyers should ask vendors which tasks were measured, how wallets are funded and capped, and how agent email and phone activity is logged.
The marker to watch is ownership and competitive response. Meta acquired Manus in late 2025 but had to unwind the deal after Beijing blocked it, while Tencent has since been negotiating for the largest stake in the startup. Meta is now betting on its own agent, Muse, which also gives every user a cloud computer. Whether Tencent closes its stake and how Muse compares on persistent computers will show if agent platforms become standard business infrastructure.
