Rabbit announced the general release of OS3 on 22 September 2026, offering a cloud-based agent that it says can carry out tasks on Windows, Mac and Linux computers without its R1 device. The release moves Rabbit’s software beyond the pocket-sized hardware on which it first introduced its approach to AI assistants.
Key points
- Rabbit says OS3 can direct work across as many as five connected devices through a local agent.
- Users supply access to an AI model through their own API keys or a locally hosted model.
- Conversations are stored on Rabbit’s servers, while task data passes through them on its way to a model provider.
- Rabbit has stopped manufacturing the R1, its founder told Wired, although the device can still be used with OS3.
OS3 assigns work across five devices
OS3 begins with a chat rather than a desktop full of controls. Rabbit says a person can describe the outcome they want, leaving the system to select the connected device, applications and files needed for the task. It runs in the cloud, but reaches a computer through a separate Rabbit agent installed on that machine. An account can connect up to five devices, and Rabbit says a task can move between them when necessary.
The local agent is the practical link in that arrangement. A request sent through the cloud can reach software and files on a particular computer because a program on that computer is available to carry it out. Rabbit says this lets OS3 operate desktop applications, work with local files and navigate web pages, rather than only return an answer in the chat. TechSpot reported that the agent connects to Windows, Mac and Linux machines.
Updating a spreadsheet kept on another computer could begin with a message instead of opening that computer directly. If OS3 worked as Rabbit describes, the request would be routed to the connected machine, where the local agent could make the changes. That would depend on the machine being connected and on OS3 having access to a model for the task.
Rabbit says OS3 uses a single continuing conversation, retaining earlier instructions and outputs as context. It says the system can choose to run a task on one connected device or distribute it across several. Those are capabilities Rabbit describes in its release, rather than results from a measured set of tasks.
Rabbit leaves model access to users
Rabbit supplies the system that receives instructions and directs actions, while users provide access to the AI model used to reason through a request. The company says OS3 accepts a user’s API keys for cloud models or a locally hosted model, and can switch between models without losing the conversation’s context, memory or installed skills. TechSpot reported that Rabbit does not charge a monthly subscription for OS3, although users must bring their own model access.
This division matters to anyone building on the platform: the computer-running agent and the model behind it are separate parts. Rabbit says a published agent skill can be added by pasting its URL into the chat, allowing OS3 to use instructions built for other agents. The company also says its Direct Large Action Model technology, used with the local agent, enables OS3 to write and debug code as well as operate software.
Giving an agent access to a computer also gives weight to its data route. Rabbit says files stay on the local machine and that its agent does not copy or store them. Conversations and the memory built from them are stored on Rabbit’s servers. For tasks requiring a connected model, Rabbit says relevant content and prompts first pass through its servers before reaching the chosen provider, which handles that data under its own terms.
Rabbit says OS3 acts in response to instructions rather than starting tasks independently. It says sensitive actions require confirmation, operating-system permissions are requested on the machine itself, and access can be revoked. The arrangement places a cloud service, a local program and potentially a separate model provider in the path of a task, even when the file being worked on remains on the computer.
R1 production ends as OS3 expands
The R1 introduced Rabbit’s agent ambitions as a dedicated device at CES 2024. Reviews found that its promised agent features often failed to work as expected, TechSpot reported. Founder and chief executive Jesse Lyu told the publication that Rabbit had since issued about 50 updates and opened the device to third-party agents, including OpenClaw and Hermes AI.
Lyu told Wired that Rabbit had stopped manufacturing the R1, The Verge reported. OS3 can still be reached through the device, as well as Rabbit’s desktop website and paired services including Telegram and iMessage. Rabbit says the R1 is not required to use the new system.
Lyu said Rabbit had shipped more than 100,000 R1 units, with returns below 5% and hardware gross margins of about 45% to 50%. He also said the company had raised about $60 million and employed 15 people. The same interview described a use of OS3 closer to ordinary office work than the original device’s pitch: Lyu said he had used it to move figures from a weekly Excel report into a master spreadsheet.
.jpg){kind=link}